By Sisera Simon, Rafer Gordon, Lisa Sargusingh-Terrance, Tevin Shepherd, Tracey Warner-Arnold

Webinar set to highlight the achievements and sustainability of OECS/USAID ELP!

Thursday, August 20, 2020 — As the culminating event of the OECS/USAID Early Learners Programme (ELP), the USAID and OECS are partnering to host a webinar to showcase the achievements of the ELP – under the theme ‘The Future of Reading in the OECS’. The webinar will describe the impact of the ELP on early grade readers’ performance, share best practices throughout the OECS and highlight how Member States are planning for sustainability of the various tenets and initiatives of the Program. As the ELP comes to an end in September 2020, the collaboration with Member States will be featured, with a focus on the Commission’s plan for transitioning the project to ensure that the reading gains achieved are continued and improved upon.

An esteemed group will facilitate and participate in the webinar, inclusive of:

• the Director General for the OECS Commission – Dr. Didacus Jules,
• US Ambassador to the OECS and Eastern Caribbean – Ms. Linda S. Taglialatela,
• Regional Representative, USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean Embassy – Mr. Clinton White,
• Head of Human and Social Cluster, OECS Commission – Dr. Carlene Radix,
• Minister of Education, National Reconciliation and Information for St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Hon. St. Clair Prince,
• Head of UWI Saint Lucia Open Campus – Dr. Veronica Simon,
• Reading Specialist, OECS/USAID ELP – Mrs. Lisa Sargusingh-Terrance,
• Curriculum Officer, English Language Arts, Curriculum and Materials Development Unit (CAMDU) Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations, Saint Lucia – Ms. Angel Caglin,
• Acting Principal and Literacy Lead at St. George’s Methodist School in Grenada – Mrs. Lollita Gibson, and
• other beneficiaries of the OECS/USAID ELP.

It is expected that this discourse will benefit many audiences within the region inclusive of parents, teachers, other educators, and the general public. The webinar will highlight critical information such as the impact of early grade reading towards improving the quality of life of every OECS citizen, the workforce readiness and youth development. The discussions will also feature a comprehensive overview of the initiatives and gains made by the OECS/USAID ELP in increasing reading levels amongst early grade readers. As part of the transitioning process, select panelists will describe what stakeholders and Ministries in each Member State are doing to support key initiatives that lead to increased reading levels.

The OECS/USAID ELP Webinar is scheduled for 11:00am – 12:30pm on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

All are encouraged to be a part of the discussion, either by registering on Zoom
http://bit.ly/futureofreadingoecs or watching live on the OECS Facebook page and the             US Embassy – Barbados OECS and Eastern Caribbean’s Facebook page.

About OECS/USAID ELP: 

OECS/USAID Early Learners Programme is a Programme within the Education Development Management Unit of the OECS Commission and was established in March 2015 to improve the reading skills of children in the early primary grades with the goal of providing a foundation for improved learning outcomes and enhanced opportunities for students in the six (6) independent Member States of the OECS (Antigua and Barbuda, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines).

To date the ELP has achieved a number of tangible outputs with over 17,000 learners reached at the Primary level, over 1500 Grades K to 3 teachers supported through job embedded professional development, 1426 lessons observed and 1031 coaching sessions with teachers have been completed by ELP Coordinators. Further, 60 schools across the Member States have received development grants to support reading enhancement projects and 173,114 teaching and learning materials have been provided to 750 classrooms across the OECS. The OECS/USAID ELP will run through to September 2020 continuing to develop and implement impactful initiatives that advance early grade reading throughout the OECS.