The IIE’s Varsity College recently initiated a Virtual Story Time project across its eight campuses nationally. The literacy initiative, aimed at vulnerable children, was initiated in conjunction with the VC Cares (student volunteer body) to continue with VC Cares’ mandate to work in vulnerable communities.
It also involves The IIE’s Varsity College IIE Bachelor of Education students, offering them some literacy initiatives during national lockdown. The students were tasked with submitting a recording of them reading a book and these readings were then shared with children’s homes and shelters via WhatsApp.
The Port Elizabeth campus’s IIE Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase students were eager to participate in this worthy initiative and uploaded six English and Afrikaans readings.
“The response from our foundation phase students was amazing – so much so that we are looking at starting a more frequent delivery of story reading uploads in the three languages used in the Eastern Cape (Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa) to promote mother-tongue literacy,” said Jamiellah Domingo, School of Education manager at The IIE’s Varsity College Port Elizabeth.
“We wanted to deliver stories to the foundation phase learners who otherwise might not have access to books. We hope that this will resonate with our students as they step up, lean in and make a difference.
“Access to literacy remains a key social justice issue,” concluded Domingo.
