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For five years, Big Brother Mouse has been publishing books that increase literacy, and that improve health, nutrition, and quality of life. Much of our work goes toward creating access to these books in rural villages.

In March of 2012, we invite organizations doing similar work to come together for 5 days in the World Heritage city of Luang Prabang, Laos, to meet, share ideas, and learn simple ways to create fun and effective books.

Who: This is for organizations involved in creating books that promote literacy, education, or village development; and/or in creating wider access to books. We particularly encourage attendance by local staff, fluent in the local language.

What: There will be a combination of group discussions, workshops, presentations, and some travel, covering:
   * Simple, effective methods for creating books that make literacy fun!
   * Sources of longer books, dealing with health and other quality-of-life issues.
   * Methods of getting books into rural villages, and creating interest in books.
   * How and why to encourage parents and teachers to read aloud.

We'll attend a book party at a rural school, where the Big Brother Mouse team gets kids excited about books and reading.

Participants will have a chance to actually write some simple books, using methods we've developed. You may decide to publish these when you return; and the process of writing them should better prepare you to teach others.

We'll also take part in a speeded-up version of some workshop activities we use, when working with village volunteers, so that you can a first-hand feel for these techniques.

When: 1 to 5 March 2012 (begins 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning; ends with a closing dinner on Monday). We're using these days because some events will be easier to observe on a weekend. For those who can stay an extra day, there will be a group trip to Kwangsi Waterfall on Tuesday, the 6th. This is a site of great natural beauty, and the trip will offer opportunities both for relaxation, and for further informal conversations with other participants.

Cost: The fee is $400 for one person from an organization, and $300 more for each additional person, up to four. This includes all workshops, meetings, and related materials; 5 lunches and 3 dinners; transportation during the event; and optional excursion to Kwangsi Waterfall on 6 March, for those who can stay the extra day.

Where: Luang Prabang, Laos. Luang Prabang has an international airport, 5 minutes from the town, with connections to Vientiane, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Siam Reap, and Udon Thani (Thailand). By 2012 there may also be flights to one or more cities in China. Accommodations in Luang Prabang range from simple but comfortable guesthouses at about USD 15-20 per night, to more deluxe accommodations in the $50 range, on up to 5-start hotels. Luang Prabang is a beautiful and relaxing town, and if your schedule allows, we encourage to plan some additional time here to enjoy it.

Language: English will be the primary language. Presentations by Big Brother Mouse will be in slow, simple English, and we ask others to make an effort to speak likewise. Our presentations can also be done in Thai, if there is interest. When we discuss and teach techniques for writing, we'll allow time so that if two or more people come from one language area, one who is bilingual can translate for any who are not.

About Big Brother Mouse:

Big Brother Mouse was started in 2006, with the goal to make literacy fun. Our work has been praised by sources as diverse as the Clinton Global Initiative, the Lao Ministry of Information and Culture, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Lonely Planet.

Since then, we have published 30 to 45 books every year, many of them written and illustrated by young Lao people who learned or improved their skills here. Most of the books are primarily directed at children, although adults always enjoy them too. A growing number address quality-of-life issues for older readers, with such subjects as clean water, sanitation, baby care, women's health, and farming techniques.

For the past three years, we have also been developing ways to get books into rural villages that never had access to books in the past. We have held book parties at 700 schools, creating enthusiasm for books and leaving a mini-library with the school. We have set up home-based reading rooms in 150 villages, run by volunteers in the village, and we conduct workshops for these volunteers. We have developed ways to teach and encourage reading aloud, in communities where that's a new concept entirely.