The Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development and Labour in collaboration with One World Schoolhouse Foundation based in Canada, this week hosted the annual Rainforest of Reading, at the Vigie Sports Complex.

The aim of the initiative is to promote reading among students from grades one to five.

This year, the festival was held under the theme “Books can take you places you've never been, so let's get going.”

Acting Education Officer for District Two, Jillian Elliot, encouraged the students to make reading a part of their daily routine.

“Usually we have reading month during the month of May, and in March, we have the Rainforest of Reading. But I don’t want you to limit your reading to only these two periods. Every day you need to read. As you go around, there are signs, there are labels, there are instructions—reading is an integral part of your life, and right now it is an integral part of your learning.”

Governor General HE Dame Pearlette Louisy, admittedly an avid reader, encouraged the students to develop a love for reading.

“Are you learning anything? Well I want you to know that I, also, am learning. Because I like reading I want to celebrate with you. Reading does indeed give us very, very special powers. We can be in more than one place at the same time. Together, as readers, we can see, hear and feel the world in a whole different way. Our own Nobel Laureate Sir Derek Walcott said “I read, I travel, I become.”

Sonya White, the Executive Director at One World Schoolhouse said much preparatory work goes into organizing the festival.

“It’s an enormous journey. Canadian publishers make submissions for books. There is a committee that reviews the books to find a balance of books that will be adventurous to both boys and the girls, and to some of our reluctant readers. Once these selections have been made, we then raise funds in Canada to purchase a set of eleven books for every grade three, four and five in every classroom in the entire country of Saint Lucia. We provide printed material for the classroom, teacher guides, and other sorts of incentives, like stickers and posters, that are used in the classroom to really motivate the children to read those books before they get to the festival.”

The One World Schoolhouse Foundation serves over 10,000 grade three, four and five students in Saint Lucia, Nevis, and Monserrat, with the goal of reaching 165,000 students throughout the OECS by 2020.

The first leg of the Rainforest of Reading was held from March 14 – 15 for students from districts one and two, and districts three and four, respectively, at the Vigie Sports Complex. The festival will culminate at the Philip Marcellin Grounds in Vieux Fort on Friday, March 17, for students from districts four to eight.