Why do I go to Zambia?

Because I want to empower

influence

strengthen

and change the literacy lives of children.

I want to revive the culture of reading in a place that is filled with adversity.

 Because I want to encourage kids to become critical thinkers.

Students who can understand and evaluate what they read and apply that new knowledge in other areas of their lives.

I want to promote original thoughts and foster creative ideas.

Because I want the boxes of books we send to be compelling and captivating. Students enthralled by the text in front of them, engrossed in a story that carries them to a different time and place. Books that will enlighten the children and provide them with the “what can be” in life.

Because I want to utilize my own talents to help diligent teachers provide a positive learning environment. With half the population under the age sixteen, these vulnerable children need strong teachers who will persevere. Committed to working side-by-side, explaining best practice, I’m driven to help the men and women in these impoverished communities become more skillful and knowledgeable teachers.

Reading is a window to the world that allows us to go beyond our limited experience. Reading opens doors and is necessary to strengthen society. Reading and writing are going to solve problems and transform communities. Why do I go to Zambia? To promote the power of literacy and get books into the hands of children.

Change.

Change can be righteous.

Change can be intimidating.

Change can be positive.

Change can be uncomfortable.

Change can be inspirational.

Change can be unsettling.

Change can be optimistic.

How can you bring about change in your world?

Zambians walk everywhere. Some travel short distances while others walk miles to school or work. People of all ages can be seen walking down the sides of the road morning, noon and night. What strikes me the most are the little ones going to school with other kids from the compounds or villages. They’re so little. Yet they walk. And walk. And walk.

Being a part of the A to Z Literacy Movement has been a huge component of both my professional and personal life. When I work with inspirational people like Mal, it motivates me to learn more, DO more, and share the love of literacy and learning with everyone I meet. Teaching outside of the usual four walls of my classroom in Crystal Lake is always a great way to learn more about myself as an educator. It gives me a chance to reflect on my own teaching strategies, and to adjust and improve those strategies to reach all types of learners…no matter where they live.

Guest Writer: Betty Trummel
Traveling to Zambia was a unique and inspirational experience for me. Working with children who eagerly grasped on to every bit of new information we shared was awesome! Their love, grace, and welcoming smiles were all a joy to behold! I was able to incorporate science and social studies (my favorites) into lessons in the school garden and lessons using finger puppets to explore African animals and their habitats. Each day was not only a learning experience for those children we met or worked with, but a personal learning journey for me. I think one of the highlights was filming the children in the upper class as they shared the mini-books they had written. Those kids had not done anything like this before and the smiles on their faces were priceless. They were SO proud and Mal and I were equally proud of them.

There is a direct transfer back to my own fourth graders, and they are the beneficiaries of unique cultural experiences that I believe make me a much better educator. I’m able to teach my U.S. students about life in other places, connect them to those learners in Zambia, and give them perspectives that are not usually seen in just any classroom. I used my time in Zambia to write an ABC book with the children at Shine Zambia Reading Academy. Not only did the book get published here and sent back to students at Shine, but I have been able to use that book in my classroom and we are currently writing the same type of book about our life here in Crystal Lake to share with students in Zambia. I now have a pen pal literacy center in my room. Students examine photographs from Zambia (and from Europe and New Zealand) and compare/contrast their life in Crystal Lake to life in those places. They write to students and make new connections in learning. The connections are endless…and the excitement is contagious.