| June 27, 2007 |
Back to the Books: GET Teachers Help Feed the Young Minds of India |
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| A Book Project poster made by teachers on the ship invites participants to get involved |
Every teacher knows that good books are at the heart of a quality education. That’s why 18 teachers aboard the 58th voyage got together to take part in the latest Peace Boat Book Project. The idea was to give youngsters in Kerala, India a head start in life by providing a range of reading materials for them to enjoy and learn from. Several of the teachers involved had heard from the array of guest educators onboard how education and literacy are key drivers for the development of Kerala. As the ship headed towards India, the project presented an ideal way to take direct action and help support the progress they had learnt so much about. |
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| The enthusiastic 58th Voyage GET team worked together to help deliver the Book Project |
All the teachers belong to Peace Boat’s Global English / Español Training (GET) Programme - an onboard learning service that allows participants to develop their English and Spanish language skills and communicate more widely around the world. As teachers they have all benefited from a wide supply of books and can appreciate their value. “I think reading is important” said Bryan Stokely, a teacher from Texas, US. “And the kids in India don’t have a great deal of access to books. These books will also help to give them a different view point of the world, which is exactly what Peace Boat is all about.” |
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| The wide selection of books came from around the world |
In total the Book Project team collected more than 60 educational books to be donated to the Sahrudaya Center, Kerala – a community facility supported by local NGO KSSP and one of Peace Boat’s partner organisations. Books had been brought on to the ship by the teachers themselves, providing a diverse selection from across the world and reflecting the international backgrounds of the teachers onboard. |
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| Miku Tanaka added her personal message to one of the books with the help of the GET teachers |
In an innovative twist, the GET teachers also offered Peace Boat participants the chance to add their own personal message to the books for a small fee and helped the Japanese passengers to write out their messages in English. Through this scheme an additional US$600 was raised and sent on to support the Bornfree Art School in Bangalore, which provides education for street children and child labourers. Miku Tanaka, 23, added her personal message to a book, saying “I hope a lot of children get to read this book. Perhaps children who still have many dreams.” |
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| Local committee members K.N. Vishnu and T. Gangadharan read through the books they received |
The books were passed on directly to the community of Sahrudaya Center when participants of the Peace Boat visited it to learn more about local development in Kerala. During the exchange, the books were presented to local committee and KSSP members, who have been working hard to support a network of libraries and reading groups across the State. Beginning in 1962, KSSP originally started as a group that spread learning and teaching through the translation and distribution of scientific textbooks. It was fitting that they received the books as part of their continued commitment to providing educational materials for the local community. |
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| Now even the younger children at Sahrudaya center have books to feed their minds |
By adding the children’s books to its expanding library, the Sahrudaya Center can now give the gift of reading to even the youngest members of the community and continue to build on the high rates of literacy across the State. With the success of this Book Project exchange, the GET teachers are now looking ahead to the next opportunity and will be delivering more books to youth across the world as the Peace Boat makes its way through Central America.
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