Our Programs / Laundromats Into Libraries
Wash & Learn Initiative (WALI)
Families spend two-plus hours a week waiting on laundry. Our Wash & Learn Initiative turns that wait time into learning time — pop-up libraries, Wi-Fi, and literacy programming inside neighborhood laundromats, run with local libraries.
Laundromat families lack home broadband
Bookshelves, kids’ corners, Wi-Fi, and computers installed inside partner laundromats — zero-barrier, no registration required.
Local librarians host storytimes, digital skills help, and family activities — meeting neighbors in a space they already trust.
Library card sign-ups and referrals at every site — the laundromat is the doorway; the library is the destination.
An independent NYU study found children at Wash & Learn laundromats were 30× more likely to engage in literacy activities than at comparison sites.
From San Antonio to Detroit to New York, WALI sites have shown that when learning shows up where families already are, families show up for learning.
