The project centered on the Jacinto Laguna Public Library, located in Nueva Palmira, Colonia. Along with a biotechnology project led by Magdalena Ripoll, M.A., of Universidad ORT Uruguay, it was the first Uruguayan project to receive funding from this program.
“At first, it scared me a little because I saw it as a responsibility, but then I realized it was an incredible opportunity,” Ceruti said. “I had never submitted a grant application before, nor did I know what it entailed. It also made me incredibly proud to say that I helped.”
According to a summary written by Ceruti, the project involved“designing the brand identity,”“refurbishing and equipping the meeting and event space,”“stocking the children’s library,”and“designing and organizing a series of events”with writers.
For the library's visual identity, he was responsible for creating the logo, the typeface palette, the color palette, the bookmarks, and the event brochures.
She also equipped the event hall and the children's library by purchasing a computer, a projector, a screen with a tripod, and 150 children's books, and by having the library floor refinished so that the children could sit on the floor without making noise.
Finally, Ceruti organized events featuring authors and book illustrators to promote culture, especially among children. The workshops were attended by 250 children from public schools and involved talking with the guests and learning how to illustrate.
How the project came about
For Ceruti, it all started with an email from the university promoting a talk by Sara Goldberg, ORT’s Coordinator of Institutional Relations and Projects, about the opportunity to submit a project to Middlebury College.
“At the time, I wasn’t sure whether to go or not,” said Ceruti, adding, “I was busy with my studies or working, but I got the urge to go to the talk to see what it was all about, and I left feeling really inspired, thinking about what kind of project I could come up with and how I could find a project that contributes to peace.”
The designer wanted her project to be an indoor, educational initiative focused on children.
So she went to talk to a friend of hers, who is a teacher in Nueva Palmira, to ask for guidance on the project. There, she put her in touch with the people who work at the library.
“I went there, met them, saw what they were doing, how they were doing it, and what they were contributing to culture, schools, and children. Based on that, we created a project.”
He also learned about the library's financial and resource constraints.
The reality is that they lived as if it were the 1800s; everything was done by hand, and they didn't have a computer. They get by thanks to members who pay a monthly fee of 75 pesos, not through government assistance or any other form of aid.
At the same time, she was taking a course in Graphic Design, in which students are tasked with redesigning an institution’s brand. Since she had already begun working with the library as part of her scholarship, she decided to devote part of her project to redesigning the library’s image as well.
Awareness, consolidation, and gathering
Ceruti decided to base his library project on three pillars: awareness, consolidation, and community.
The initiative was aimed at launching a project in the interior of the country to move away from Montevideo, as well as to encourage children to read and write.
“Reading not only gives them tools for developing soft skills, but also for their ongoing growth—for never stopping to imagine and for traveling to other worlds. The meetings with the writers were a real bonus because I heard questions from the children that I never would have thought of myself.”
The renovation project aimed to transform the library—an 185-year-old historic landmark and the second-oldest library in Uruguay—into a cultural hub.
There are some very small cultural centers in the interior and in Montevideo that lack visibility and could take the library as a model. The aim was also to demonstrate that funding is available in Uruguay and that projects can be carried out.
Finally, the event mentioned the workshops where children got to meet writers and illustrators.
What is Projects for Peace?
This is a program offered by Middlebury College in partnership with other educational institutions around the world to provide funding to students who develop projects that contribute to peace.
The grant accepts projects from various fields that have an impact on society.
They may be cultural, educational, environmental, or related to poverty and inclusion.
According to the Middlebury College website, the Projects for Peace grant funds more than 125 students each year to carry out their projects. Since 2007, the college has partnered with more than 115 institutions in over 150 countries to fund more than 2,200 projects.