I am behind on everything, including my literacy blogs. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Now that life is slowing down a little, I was so inspired by this article  I have to share it with you.

I recently read that worldwide 58 million children are not in school. (UNESCO). Add to that, in our country 51% of public school children live in poverty, many more are on the edge. Poverty matters. For many children it’s no small feat simply getting to school, even in America.

What strikes me as so significant about this inspiring photo journey is what the children go through to get an education. Just getting to school is truly admirable. The kids don’t know how remarkable they are. It’s just what is, their normal.

When I was little we walked pretty far to school and the only danger seemed to be an occasional snowball thrown by a bigger kid. Kind of like A Christmas Story. It’s not like that today.

This hectic but wonderful winter break draws to a close soon and children go back to school, whether a brick schoolhouse or homeschool. We don’t often think about how kids get to school, just what happens while they are there.

Take a moment and savor the photos. I was fortunate to visit a number of primitive schools in Third World countries. The children there had so little, but so much. They welcomed me in Tarahumara Indian caves in Mexico, tiny schools in Jamaica and Belize.

There were few educational books or tools, generally small wooden tables and chairs, but each school had a dedicated, warm teacher. Count our blessings we have such great public schools in America.

I am studying what’s happening in our schools over this break, the ending of No Child Left Behind and beginning of ESSA. I’ll be writing about the changes. School bells are ringing before we know it.

May Nine Inspirational, Extraordinary Journeys To School gladden our hearts and help us overcome whatever we consider educational challenges or obstacles in the New Year. Our collective voices count.

Leaving footprints on your reading hearts, Rita.