Readers are Leaders Black History Month Event

Readers are Leaders is a reading program where the goal is to encourage reading by teenagers and to show that reading is fun. Reading is important to develop yourself, to develop imagination and curiosity and it lets you think outside the box. Aside from the reading challenge, the Readers are Leaders program also challenges students from various high schools on the island through contests, in which they can sing, read poetry and speeches and dance. The competition started off with music and the reading of the famous Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speech ‘I have a dream’. Later on in the evening, students of the St. Maarten Academy, St. Maarten Academy PSVE and St. Dominic High demonstrated their poetic talents. There was also a wonderful drumming performance by the students of the St. Maarten Vocational Training school, and dancing by students of Milton Peters College and an incorporated group from the different high schools. Aside from the performances by the talented students, there were several quiz rounds about famous black persons throughout the evening. The students also got a chance to win top ups for their cell phones, sponsored by Rotarian Bernadette Davis, by participating in the quizzes that were held at the event.

Adriana Bisasor of St. Maarten Academy PSVE was awarded with a top up voucher for her rendition of a speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while Erdade Sainmervil of St. Dominic High won a prize for her original poem. Three other students from St. Maarten Academy, St. Maarten Vocational Training School and Milton Peters College were also awarded with top up vouchers for winning on the quizzes. Photo caption: Picture of the Readers Are Leaders Board