Founder’s Message

“What should I read?”

Whether it’s for increasing SAT scores or improving general English, not a week of my decade-long teaching career has gone by without being asked this question.

Schools respond by foisting so-called classics upon hapless students who couldn’t care less about an old man who can’t catch any fish or an egregiously dense Victorian novel that may as well have been written in another language. Others recommend reading articles published by notable news media, which, given how wide-ranging they are in both subject and style, is about as helpful as shoving someone into a bookstore and saying, “Now go read.”

At Meraki, we know that everyone develops a love of reading the moment they learn to pronounce their first letter. We know that when people say they don’t like reading, what they really mean is that they just want to be able to read something that makes sense, something relevant to their times and their cultural sensibilities. We’ve heard you, we’ve been working on it, and now we’re proud to present you with the first taste of what’s to come.

Our new monthly newsletter is a collection of original work and curated content designed to elevate your reading comprehension skills while cultivating your thinking and piquing your curiosity. Every issue of the Meraki Digest features not only current events and student voices but also visual media showcasing the exceptional and the timeless. We find what’s worth reading and learning so you don’t have to.

I’m deeply grateful that all your continued support has made possible our lifelong mission to challenge the boundaries of what education can and should be, and I hope you stay along for the ride because we’ve got so much more to show you.

— Shang Liu