“Teens Teach Reading” at St. Edmund Preparatory High School, moderated by Joan Kowkabany, and which encourages children to read and write, instituted a new project this year.
In order to reach more students in Brooklyn, the teens became pen pals with Claire Kowkabany’s fourth graders who attend St. Francis Xavier Elementary School, 763 President Street in Park Slope.
The St. Edmund teens and the fourth grade students corresponded through letters and shared books throughout the school year.
Claire Kowkabany said, “The teens helped my students become enthusiastic about reading and writing. One memorable moment was when the teens surprised my students by calling them prior to the New York State ELA exam to wish them good luck.”
This is the second year that Teens Teach Reading has been an active group. Members involved are high school teens in their senior year who volunteer their time to promote literacy. Although the ultimate goal is for the teens to make a difference in today’s society, the teens believe they too benefited greatly from this program.
St. Edmund Preparatory High School is located at 2474 Ocean Avenue in Sheepshead Bay.
