TTC Students write and read stories for local primary school

As part of this initiative, a writer's workshop was organized for Teacher Training College (TTC) students in July. The workshop, facilitated by VSO volunteers, provided a platform for TTC students to write and share their own original stories. Thirty TTC students participated in the workshop and wrote stories that they later read to primary school students at Academie de la Salle in Byumba. The event, organized by VSO volunteer Dorothy Nelson, brought together primary school students who listened to the TTC students' stories in small circles. The TTC students engaged the primary students by asking them questions about the story before, during, and after reading. The L3 Initiative's Technical Director, Norma Evans, emphasizes the importance of using stories in the classroom. She notes that children need constant exposure to written content to learn to read and that stories show students that reading is meaningful and has a purpose. Evans also highlights the significance of writing in the classroom, stating that even primary school students should have opportunities for authentic writing to express themselves. The Kigali Institute of Education, with support from the L3 initiative, is revising TTC curricula to include a focus on writing and the importance of story in the classroom. VSO volunteers with specialization in literacy will support the implementation of the new curricula and organize activities such as writer's workshops and writing competitions at the TTCs to encourage a culture of reading and writing. Jean Bosco Bigirimana, principal of TTC Byumba, expressed his enthusiasm for the focus on story, encouraging the TTC students to write many stories and use them to teach their pupils when they become teachers. This initiative aims to inspire a love of reading and writing among TTC students, who will eventually become teachers and play a crucial role in promoting literacy in Rwanda.