The British Council and HSBC team up for a second year of Kids Read – seeking seven new participating schools

Following a successful first year, the joint British Council/HSBC project entitled Kids Read is preparing to recruit seven new primary schools to participate in a second year. The schools will each receive a library and a set of story books especially chosen by a panel of UK experts to use with children in their English lessons. Furthermore the teachers in these schools will receive training from the British Council’s English for the Future team in using these books in class and encouraging their students to read at home.

There will be a launch for the project on 21 October at Al Azhar Park, Cairo at which David Vale (a British expert in storytelling) will run sessions for children, teachers and HSBC volunteers. Throughout the year there will be three community events which will be free to the public and plans are to hold them in Alexandria, Banha and Cairo. Last year more than 1,500 children enjoyed the storytelling, arts and crafts and sports sessions at the community events.

The project aims at:

• Reaching approximately 25,000 primary aged students will have access to English books though their schools
• Reaching approximately 300 teachers and trainers
• Enabling trainers to cascade the knowledge and skills to other teachers
• Helping parents to better understand the benefits of reading and enable them to help their children read at home
• Increasing awareness of environmental issues and the value of money among children and teachers touched by this project