Education-focused nonprofit Minds on Wheels launched its first-ever urban Learning Drive at Labangon Elementary School on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, marking the group’s expansion into city-based literacy interventions after six years of working in rural communities.
Fifty learners from Grades 3 to 5, identified by the Department of Education (DepEd) as bottom performers in reading comprehension, will participate in the foundation’s structured eight-week program. The model combines weekly teacher-led sessions with sustained access to a mobile library placed on campus for the duration of the program.
According to the foundation, each Friday session exposes learners to one storybook and 10 new vocabulary words, with a target of 80 new words mastered by the end of the eight weeks. From Monday to Thursday, students and teachers may use the mobile library for independent reading, class activities and literacy exercises — an approach meant to maximize exposure to books in public schools with limited learning resources.
“This initiative aims to strengthen comprehension early, because improving literacy can change a child’s trajectory,” said founder Chime Bell Osabel. Minds on Wheels has completed 16 Learning Drives in rural public schools since 2019, reporting gains in vocabulary and comprehension among struggling readers.
The new urban rollout, which will continue for four consecutive years — from 2025 to 2028 — will allow the foundation to measure literacy improvement in city learners and compare it with data collected in rural settings. It is one of the first NGO-led efforts in Cebu to undertake a comparative study on literacy across different environments.
The program is supported by Cebu Normal University, which deployed student-teacher volunteers for instructional sessions, and by DepEd, which facilitated learner selection and school coordination.
Project HOPE, led by Renzo and Regan King, helped remodel the foundation’s mobile library prior to the launch. Donors and community partners also contributed books and learning materials now housed in the Labangon library truck.
Co-founded by Osabel and Chef Angelo “Bibo” Moreno, Minds on Wheels positions itself as an independent and non-political organization focused solely on literacy advocacy. Osabel, whose mother was an educator, said the initiative is rooted in personal purpose. “This is my way of honoring the people who taught us to dream,” he said.
The group is accepting book donations and learning materials at Bell + Amadeus Restaurant in Banilad, Cebu City, and is set to open more channels for sponsorships and volunteer support. Weekly updates on learner progress will be shared online as the program continues. S