Empowering 300 children in Chile

This month, we began ¡Vamos a Leer!, our literacy program to show the children the joy in reading.  Since many of the children are off from school during the summer months, this program is a great opportunity for children to continue practicing their reading and writing skills.  We encourage the children to select their books of interest and motivate them to finish the stories they choose, giving them a sense of individual achievement and helping to improve their overall reading proficiency.  We close the program by throwing Carnaval, an exciting festival to celebrate their achievements.

Kelly, one of the volunteers from our September 2012 class, works at Hogar San Francisco, a home for girls between the ages of 4 and 21 years old.  The girls love reading the “Twilight” series books and using VE Global`s tablets to read e-books.  They receive a sticker each time they finish a story in order to visually track their achievements.  Kelly also gives them an activity to do once they finish a book, such as having them write a short synopsis or a description of their favorite character. 

At Hogar Esperanza, a home that serves children from birth to 6 years old, Sam, another volunteer from the September class, reads to the children individually.  For each story they complete, they draw pictures of their favorite characters or are filmed talking about why they liked the story, and later enjoy the film with their friends.   

“This program is really important for their cognitive development because they learn about new and exciting topics.  They also love to receive the individual attention,” explains Sam.

Check back soon to read how we celebrated their successes at Carnaval!