Press Release

American Cultural Center Brings Kids Reading Days to Katutura!

November 9, 2007

Public Affairs Officer, Ray Castillo reading to the children, at a recent reading day, organised by the American Cultural Center.

 

On November 8, the American Cultural Center took its monthly Kids Reading Days program to Katutura.  We visited with 250 Grade 1 learners at the Tobias Hainyeko Primary School.  They were an excellent audience, reading along and thoroughly enjoying the stories.  This is the first time that the Cultural Center has brought its Kids Reading Program to Katutura and it was a smashing success. 

Ray Castillo, Director of the American Cultural Center, also donated American books to the school and explained the importance of reading.  "You will learn many important things in your school career.  But reading is the most important subject of all because you use it to learn about everything else," Castillo told the learners.  "Continue to practice your reading with your teachers and parents and soon you will be able to read fun books like these all by yourselves."

On November 7, the American Cultural Center also had hosted learners from the Martti Ahtisaari Primary School - Katutura, Moses Van Der Byl Primary School - Katutura, and the St. Andrews Primary School - Khomasdal for a Kids Reading Day at our auditorium in the Sanlam Center.  About 40 students attended. 

In total, the American Cultural Center hosted seven Kids Reading Days in 2007 - both at our center and at different schools and libraries.  These programs are focused on fostering a love of reading in young Namibians so that they may attain their educational goals.  The Center does this by having Americans and Namibians read aloud to the learners while projecting the words and pictures on a big screen.

With the festive holidays almost upon us, we will conclude our Reading Days for this year but we will begin again early in 2008.  We invite primary school principals, librarians, and teachers to contact the American Cultural Center to set up Kids Reading Days at their schools.  Please contact Emelda Van Neel at 229-801. 

For further information, please contact Public Affairs Officer, Raymond Castillo, at 081-128-0816, or Information Assistant, Roger Lyners, at 229-801 [ext. 226].