Research becomes action
Inspired by African American Studies coursework and The Other Wes Moore, Rick develops a mentoring initiative to confront educational inequity and the school-to-prison pipeline.
About the Foundation
Changing lives through the power of books.
Every child deserves the opportunity to read, imagine, create and thrive. We expand access to books, literacy experiences and learning opportunities that help children become confident readers, writers and leaders.
Why we exist
Access to books should never determine a child’s future.
For too many children, books, home libraries and literacy-rich learning experiences remain out of reach. Those barriers can shape confidence, academic achievement and a child’s belief in what is possible.
The J.C. Tamno Books Foundation exists to help change that reality. We believe literacy is not simply an educational issue—it is a matter of opportunity, equity, identity and human potential.
Our story
It began with The Other Wes Moore.
How different might a child’s future look if they simply had greater access to books, mentors and educational opportunity?
While studying African American Studies at the University of Maryland, Founder Rick Tamno researched systemic racism, educational inequality and the school-to-prison pipeline. His work deepened his understanding of how unequal access to educational opportunity has shaped generations of Black children and communities.
One book profoundly influenced his thinking: The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates. Its message—that mentorship, education and access can change the course of a young person’s life—inspired Rick to move beyond research and begin creating solutions within his own community.
Meet our leadership →
A defining moment
Books can inspire courage, leadership and social change.
In 2017, Rick attended the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Lecture at the University of Maryland featuring Congressman John Lewis. Students met Congressman Lewis, received signed copies of March: Book Three and reflected on his lifelong commitment to justice, courage and civic leadership.
“Books are more than educational tools. They are instruments of courage, opportunity, leadership and social change.”
This belief remains the Foundation’s North Star.
2017 · Advocating for college access
Turning research into a public call for opportunity.
After three years of undergraduate study and research, Rick delivered his TEDx talk, The Importance of College Access for Low-Income Students. He highlighted the systemic barriers that keep many low-income students from pursuing higher education and reinforced his belief that access to opportunity is essential to breaking cycles of poverty and inequality.
2018–2020 · From vision to action
The Saturday Literacy Enrichment Program.
Rick developed a community-based mentoring initiative designed to improve literacy outcomes while connecting elementary students with college mentors and positive role models.
Between 2018 and 2020, he worked to identify a partner school, raise the $20,000 needed to operate the program, recruit and train undergraduate and graduate mentors, develop an age-appropriate curriculum and establish long-term partnerships. SLEP launched in January 2020 and met every Saturday until the COVID-19 pandemic brought the inaugural program to an early close.
Our journey
From research to a global literacy mission.
What began as a university-based mentoring idea evolved through years of study, community engagement and program development.
Advocating for access
Rick delivers a TEDx talk on college access for low-income students and experiences a defining encounter with Congressman John Lewis.
Saturday Literacy Enrichment Program
The community-based program connects elementary students with college mentors and literacy-centered learning experiences.
Readers All
Following the pandemic, the original mentoring vision expands into a more sustainable nonprofit focused on book access, literacy and lifelong learning.
J.C. Tamno Books Foundation
The organization now works to combat book deserts, preserve Indigenous languages, support children’s authorship and expand educational opportunity.