Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Stuart Young MP, is expected to treat several youngsters from his constituency of Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West to story-time, this Friday, July 12, at the 2022 edition of the Book Buddies Holiday Reading Camp, currently underway in the Seminar Room, 1st Floor, NALIS, on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain.
Minister Young will take on the role of ‘storyteller’ when he visits the campers at 11:30 am on Friday, along with NALIS’ Executive Director, Paula Greene, an official statement from NALIS said.
The PoS North/St Ann’s West MP has funded the Reading Camp since 2017 exclusively for children from his constituency.
“Tomorrow, the Minister will kick off a brief reading session with Camp participants with an excerpt from the book on which the Camp’s reading segment is centred,” NALIS said.
NALIS notes that Minister Young felt the need to continue funding the camp especially given two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact “on the academic and social development of our nation’s children”, and his “strong conviction for the invaluable role that reading plays in the development of young minds”.
The two-week Camp, which began on August 8, is facilitated by expert Reading Coaches from local reading advocate group Book Buddies TnT, NALIS explained. Book Buddies is a programme that seeks to spread the power of reading amongst children six to 15 years.
For the two-week Camp, the group's focus is on instilling the joy and pleasure of reading in its participants. Its effort is being supported by NALIS and its Children’s Library team with fun-filled mind stimulation games, storytelling and craft.