Education
JAM | Jul 13, 2021

Citi Ja, Mico students ‘Drop Everything and Read’ on reimagined Global Community Day

/ Our Today

administrator
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Eva Lewis (standing, second right), Country Head of Citi Jamaica, with Principal of Mico Practicing Primary, Geraldine Allen (second left) and teachers (from left, standing) Tracey Ann Palmer, Michelle Bradshaw and Tashani Atkinson, with some of the student recipients of 82 tablets donated by Citi to the school recently.

Citi Jamaica celebrated its 16th Global Community Day with a difference this year, collaborating with the principal, teachers and over 160 students of the Mico Practicing Primary and Junior High School on a new dimension of their ‘Drop Everything and Read’ (DEAR) programme 

The bank annually celebrates Global Community Day across the world, mobilising Citi’s volunteers to engage in service activities and acts of kindness, to benefit their local communities.

While COVID-19 restrictions prevented in-person interactions this year, Citi volunteers, teachers and Grade 4-6 students at MICO participated in three virtual reading and reasoning sessions. 

It was an exciting twist to the school’s established weekly DEAR programme, as the Citi volunteers read to the students, and led discussions on the text chosen by Ruth Malcolm, public affairs officer at Citi, in collaboration with Mico Principal Geraldine Allen and Grade Coordinator Tracey-Ann Palmer.     

The chosen text was Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a tale about a mischievous, cheeky 11-year-old boy, Greg Heffley, who writes about his life in his secret diary. Filled with humour, his daily notes inspire life lessons like the value of friendships and ‘Dreaming Big’.

“I assure you that you cannot communicate effectively if you do not read and write well.”

Eva Lewis, country head of Citi Jamaica

In a lively session following the readings and interactive word puzzles, the students shared takeaways like “reading and writing help to build your vocabulary, organise your thoughts and express yourself” and “parents’ encouragement helps to build your confidence, teaches life skills that will help you in the future and they should always be obeyed”.

Citi Jamaica Country Head Eva Lewis urged the students to continue reading and to keep a diary or journal. 

She said: “In an age when everybody’s face is stuck in a cell phone and our vocabulary is punctuated with abbreviated three-letter words like, OMG, LOL and BTW, I assure you that you cannot communicate effectively if you do not read and write well. Reading gives you tools that you need to communicate well. It is very important to your development and can be the bedrock of your success in life and can be the big differentiator in your lives.”

Lewis thanked the Mico family and her Citi team for “making Global Community Day 2021 reimagined, a huge success”.

She told them: “The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from going out in the communities as has become our custom over many years, but, thankfully, technology has still allowed us to connect with you, to share knowledge and to inspire and be inspired by your youthful and hopeful outlook on life . Thank you for your exuberant participation.”

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