LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Reading is a fundamental part of a child's education, and 17-year-old Christian Tingle said he wants to make sure every child gets the education they deserve.
Tingle started The Reading Garden, a nonprofit that brings books to local elementary school students. The Reading Garden collects and purchases children's books to donate. Recently, Tingle donated 350 books to Maupin Elementary.
“I’m a big reader," Tingle said. "I read all the time. I love reading and reading is a very important part of education so I just thought books was the key.”
The mission to get kids reading is a personal one for Tingle. He said his mom worked a lot while he was growing up, and he wished he had a little more help in his early school days.
“It’s very important to get it early because if you go your whole childhood without a lot of exposure to books, you’re probably not going to be getting a lot of exposure to books when you grow up," Tingle said. "If you can get it locked in at a young age then it’ll work wonders to you later in life."
Tingle said donating hundreds of books is a start, but he plans to keep growing his nonprofit. He is currently working on a Books on the Bus program that would allow students to read books while they’re waiting for the bus—or take them home.
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