Keens-Douglas joins Atlantic's literacy drive

CHILDREN in Atlantic’s Point Fortin Primary Schools literacy and numeracy programme will now benefit from local content provided by renowned Caribbean author and storyteller, Paul Keens-Douglas.

Since the launch of the programme in 2014 which introduced specialised instructional technology to improve students’ reading and numeracy skills in the classroom, Atlantic said it has augmented the learning material to ensure that students access a wide range of up-to-date resources. This latest additional content from Keens-Douglas forms the first collection of home-grown learning material donated to the programme, and includes volumes of work from the author such as Tanti at de Oval, My Daddy is the Best Daddy, and Fedon’s Flute and other stories. The donations were made in both book and audio formats.

A special handover of the material took place recently at the Point Fortin Anglican Primary School, attended by students, and also representatives from the Ministry of Education and also Atlantic. At the event, Keens-Douglas kicked off the first of nine scheduled storytelling sessions for the Point Fortin schools participating in the literacy and numeracy programme.

Marlon Grant, team lead of sustainability at Atlantic said that this donation of resource material to the programme continues to fulfill the company's commitment to build capacity in its home community.

In a media release Grant said, “Literacy and numeracy provide the building blocks for higher education, training and work – they are essential to developing the next generation. Equally important is for students to have as part of their upbringing an appreciation for local history and cultural art forms which are masterfully captured in Paul's storytelling.”

Kirt Mitchell, principal of Point Fortin Anglican Primary School explained that the literacy and numeracy programme continues to bear fruit at his school and the local material will add depth to his students’ knowledge and appreciation of oral traditions.

“The stories told by Paul Keens-Douglas are stories I have carried in my memory as a young boy," Mitchell said. "Today, through Atlantic’s literacy and numeracy programme, his stories will help our students to master their literacy skills.”

Allan Ramdeen, school supervisor I of the Ministry of Education’s St Patrick Education District brought greetings at the handover event and emphasised the importance of interventions that enhance classroom learning.

“The Ministry of Education has been a long-standing partner of Atlantic’s Sustainability programmes in the Point Fortin community," Ramdeen said. "Their commitment to childhood education is aligned with our own vision and this programme complements the school’s framework for language arts and literacy development. Mr-Keens-Douglas’s talents as a renowned raconteur helps to enrich the learning environment for these children.”