Books 4 Cultural Competence

Our mission

Books 4 Cultural Competence (B4CC) aims to improve k-12 community (students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders) cultural competence by strengthening self-awareness, awareness of others, cultural knowledge, and cross-cultural skills.

Our team

Books 4 Cultural Competence (B4CC) is advocating for the public to join us in the efforts to promote increased awareness of Asian American culture, history and their contributions to our communities and country by donating book titles from our carefully curated booklist to K-12 classrooms and libraries across the state of Washington.

Click here for the Booklist

Click here for the Partnering schools

B4CC Received Award of Microgrants from UCA Community Fund

UCA Community Fund (UCACF) announced on Dec 9th,2022 three recipients of its microgrants approved in October and November 2022, B4CC included.

Our Story

Building Bridges Through Books: The Journey of Books 4 Cultural Competence in Enhancing Diversity.

This article was written by Judy Shi and published in Cultural Bridge magazine. Click the picture to read more.

Discovering B4CC as a high schooler has been like uncovering hidden gems that lead to the foundation of our society. From hosting camps to exploring the fascinating bits of different cultures, every moment has been like finding a new puzzle piece: I loved every part of it! B4CC's mission is simple yet profound: to enhance cultural competence in the K-12 community. They believe that by offering books showcasing diverse stories and experiences, they're helping to forge a more empathetic and understanding society. The B4CC team focuses on deepening cultural awareness and identity, emphasizing the importance of connecting with, respecting, and learning from diverse traditions.
Judy Shi
B4CC High School Student Leader & City of Issaquah Resident

Book Donation

Books 4 Cultural Competence (B4CC) has donated books to K-12 classrooms and libraries across the state of Washington since 2021.

A lovely surprise arrived this week...so many beautiful books donated by Mandarin Playground that will be read and appreciated by Seattle Country Day School community.I want to thank you personally for your donation on behalf of our school. A major goal of our school is to increase diversity, expand equity, and we are resolved to being an inclusive and welcoming community. Your generous donation goes a long way to helping us achieve our goal! And personally, I feel that there is nothing quite as satisfying as children becoming more internationally minded and emotionally intelligent as a result of reading a fabulous book.

Anne Boone
Seattle Country Day School Librarian

We had a chance to show the class each book. It tied in perfectly to my lesson on Women's History month and our work identifying their “Contribution”.

Ann Fitzmaurice
Thoreau Elementary Librarian

I honestly state with delight that I am very thankful that you are spreading knowledge and awareness about Asian-Americans and the experiences that they have gone through. It's nice for people to understand others in our society, and you have done exactly that.

Aneev Aradhya
5th Grade
Emily Dickinson Elementary School

Community Workshop

In the summer of 2023, student volunteers from B4CC utilized the donated books to create a diverse range of courses. After co-working at UW and culminating in a final presentation, the curriculum design was showcased to children at the ISF summer camp.

Spring Retreat

B4CC invited student volunteers for a Spring Retreat at the Lighting Art Studio on March 17, 2024. We came together once again to foster learning, creativity, and community building in a vibrant setting.