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What is 'Katie's Readers'?
Katie's Story
Katie Jonis was a beautiful little girl who loved climbing, reading, eating sushi and recycling anything she could get her hands on.
In 2008, after a sudden illness, Katie passed away at just seven years old. As you can imagine, losing Katie was devastating for her family, and it deeply affected our expat community.
Katie’s Readers began as a simple way to honour her life. What started with collecting gently used books for local schools soon grew into something much bigger and more meaningful.
What is Katie's Readers?
Katie’s Readers is a youth-led outreach programme that brings stories, creativity and simple joyful activities to underserved schools and communities. We work with teachers, young volunteers and expat families who want to create small but meaningful connections in their host country.
Through stories, movement, crafts and reading sessions, the programme gives children a place to feel seen and valued, while supporting youth volunteers as they discover confidence, compassion and a sense of purpose.
At the heart of our work is a simple belief: when compassion leads, learning follows.
The PASS IT ON Programme
Over time, the programme evolved into the PASS IT ON model, where local and international high-school volunteers are trained to deliver Katie’s Readers sessions in their own communities.
They learn how to work with younger children, plan activities, build supportive teams and bring joy into classrooms that need it.
Watching these young people step into leadership and service has been one of the most meaningful parts of the project.
Where we are now
Our Katie’s Readers PASS IT ON Programme remains free and accessible. It can be used in:
• international schools
• local high schools
• youth groups
• community outreach projects
• UK high schools wanting to connect with feeder primaries
All of the training and resources are available upon request.
