In September 2025, Prairie Lakes Library System (PLLS) was awarded an Ideas to Action Fund award for their project, Passport Packs: Check Out the World. Here, PLLS Programming Consultant Kate Davis provides an update from the mid-point of the project.
Teaching kids about the incredible cultures around the world is more important than ever, but it isn’t always easy. Whether it’s stories from neighbors, library books, or the endless stream of the web, the sheer volume of information can often feel overwhelming rather than inspiring. Guiding children toward a meaningful understanding of our global neighbors shouldn’t feel like a research project—it should feel like play.
To bridge this gap, I created the “Passport Pack” concept: culture in a box. Each kit, built for ages 5-12, focuses on one country and is packed with everything a family needs for hours of discovery. Kids learn best when they’re having fun, so each pack includes a selection of 5-7 books that serve as windows into different worlds, language flashcards to try out new words, culture-themed bingo and country-specific games, and culture-based props to spark dramatic play. Bundled into a fun suitcase, Passport Packs bring new experiences home. By providing a holistic resource that allows them to experience a culture within the comfort of their own home, kids will form core learning memories—the building blocks for foundational knowledge, cultural respect, and a lifelong sense of cultural curiosity.
Creating a Passport Pack involves much more than just picking a country and finding matching props. My mission was to build a high-quality resource that other libraries could easily replicate. While quality often comes with a price tag, I’ve been able to keep the cost to approximately $125 per kit. This was made possible by an Ideas to Action Grant from WiLS, which gave me the freedom to source the durable, genuine materials that these vibrant cultures deserve.
With funding in place, I knew that building genuine relationships with cultural communities was the only way to ensure these kits were truly authentic. I reached out through personal networks, connected with organizations at the WI Folk Festival, and contacted cultural organizations to find advisors who shared my vision. Their expertise is what transforms these packs from a collection of facts into a nuanced representation of a culture, ensuring every resource is both accurate and respectful.
To date, I’ve curated five packs: the Philippines, India, Japan, Sweden, and Australia. The Philippine kit is a perfect example of why these partnerships matter. I worked with Omar Dumdum from PAMANA. His expertise was invaluable; he identified a possibly sensitive detail regarding territorial disputes in a map puzzle. I didn’t have the background knowledge to pick that up, but Omar did. That kind of accuracy is what gives these kits their authority!
With our first five kits officially ready for their library debut, I’m shifting my focus to what comes next: seeing them in action! I’ll be tracking everything from how well they hold up to how often they circulate to qualitative stories from families and staff.
Beyond these initial kits, I hope to empower other libraries to launch their own Passport Packs. I’m currently developing a comprehensive toolkit that covers cultural partnerships, sourcing, cataloging, and outreach strategies to help this initiative grow, give librarians confidence in building their own Passport Packs, and help kids around America to become global citizens.
