Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
For three months, the classrooms of Thelangapatha Sri Ratnapala Vidyalaya were buzzed with energy as the young learners were excited for a fun-filled journey of learning English. Organized by the collaboration of a few Rotaract Clubs in the country, EduBridge is an English course aimed to enhance English language skills among primary students along with an enjoyable learning experience. The project was well planned and executed with a mission, and achieved the expected outcomes by the end of the project.
The importance of learning English is at its peak in the modern days. However, several reasons such as lack of resources, lack of exposure, and stigma about the language has become a hindrance in learning English for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. The main objective of the project EduBridge was to make an impact on enhancing English language skills of youngsters in order to pave a better path for their future. The Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya joined hands with The Rotaract Club of Alumni, The Rotaract Club of University of Sri Jayawardenepura, The Rotaract Club of University of Colombo School of Computing, and The Rotaract Club of Informatics and Institute of Technology to make a lasting positive impact through EduBridge. This English course was conducted for grade 3 and 4 primary students at Thelangapatha Sri Ratnapala Vidyalaya, Wattala. The project was conducted for three months, and consisted of three phases: implementing the three month English course, book donation programme, and the talent show.
Learning English is a journey, not a destination. Each word learned is a step closer to new opportunities.
It is glad to note that the expectations of the project were able to be reached in all three phases of the project. The first phase of EduBridge consisted of 13 sessions. The specially designed lesson plan ensuring active engagement, immensely aided in improving listening, writing, reading, and speaking skills of the students. The lessons consisted of interactive games, role-plays and many more engaging and fun activities. In addition, the fear of the language and other language prejudices were overcome by the students themselves, which was one of the biggest achievements of EduBridge. The students were so excited and eager to learn English so that, at some instances it became hard to handle a whole class. Yet, with the assistance of kind teachers, it was not a problem. Most importantly, the satisfaction is that, by the end of the project, the students who did not know how to write their own names, were able to confidently introduce themselves in English.
The second and third phases of EduBridge were the book donation programme and the final event. Large piles of books including story books and subject related books were donated to the school library in order to provide the students with language materials and to encourage reading; the thirst for knowledge. The third phase; the final event was a blast; the students of Thelangapatha Sri Ratnapala Vidyalaya showcased their talents through a talent show. They sang, danced, delivered speeches, recited poems, and were thrilled to get presents. On this final day of the project, students requested more programmes of this kind, which was heart-warming, and the teachers further agreed to it. The overall positive feedback received not only from the students, but also from the teachers and parents, was wholesome and tempting enough to organize more projects of this kind.
In conclusion, EduBridge successfully provided a strong foundation in English language for the students of Thelangapatha Sri Ratnapala Vidyalaya, installing confidence and enthusiasm for future learning. This achievement is made possible by the unity of the collaborated clubs and its members, the dedication and teamwork of the organizing committee, well-wishers and the inquisitive young learners. Just like it is said that, investing in education is the best investment, even a small attempt can make a huge impact on the future.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
