TO continue to foster academic achievement within the community of Mocha/Arcadia along the East Bank Corridor, a literacy summer camp was launched on Saturday.

THE Mocha Forward Group Summer Literacy Camp 2024 was launched at the Mocha Primary School and saw scores of children and their parents attending to sign up for the programme.

Sessions will officially commence on Monday for pupils of Grades Three to Five from 08:30 hrs to 13:30 hrs.

It includes interactive academic activities such as phonics, spelling, reading and reasoning, vocabulary, arts and crafts, and sports.

While launching the camp, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira noted that such programmes are important for the development of the young lives within the communities.

She added that summer camps help to educate the children in a more fun and creative way.

“Over the years we have been looking at education as being in the classroom. But education is really about learning, fun, and imagination. And so, the summer camps allow us to do these things in a really creative way. It also helps us to build curiosity among these children,” the minister stressed.

Minister Teixeira encouraged the parents to take part in the development of their children’s welfare and to work with them both in and out of the classrooms.

Also present was Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag who urged the children to focus primarily on boosting their literacy, as it consists of both reading and comprehension.

She noted that those two areas are ideal for transforming lives especially at such a young age.

“This initiative is to not only give you that boost in academics but is to give you that boost as a young child, to grow up and achieve your goals and aspirations. The idea is also for you to learn, not in a confined area but in a recreational space,” Minister Parag stated.

The five-week programme which is a private-government partnership will see the children involved in both indoor and outdoor learning. They will also be taken on a bus tour, and participate in sports.

At the end, there will also be an award ceremony where each child will receive a certificate for participating in the robust literacy capacity-building programme. (DPI)