This year USM held an extended celebration of International Literacy Day by providing the public with a workshop on Poetry and Spoken Word by St. Martin’s own Joshua Snijders and a book launch by local author Joseph Lake Jr.
Since 1966, UNESCO has designated 8 September as International Literacy Day (ILD) to address the problem of illiteracy at a global level. After surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted the university from carrying out public events, USM decided to celebrate ILD 2022 in a special way by bringing local talent to the community and by launching its Adult Literacy Program.
On Saturday, 3 September, USM hosted a workshop given by Joshua Snijders, a Milton Pieters College graduate currently studying at Leiden University, who paid a visit to his childhood home with the purpose of giving back to the community. Workshop participants learned how to properly format poems by reviewing “Def Poetry” performances and engaging in writing and reciting exercises. Twelve members of the community, from St. Martin North and South, attended the free event and expressed their desire to see more of these activities take place on USM campus.
On Thursday, 8 September, St. Martin’s most prolific writer and first political scientist, Joseph Lake Jr., debuted his first novella “Kwame”, a fictional account of the struggles and discoveries of St. Martin youth (especially boys) and their families in the face of an everchanging and sometimes failing education system. The book launch was attended by students, faculty and some of St. Martin’s veteran educational leaders.
USM continues to serve the community with its Adult Literacy Program coordinated by Corinne Lejuez-van Putten. A drive for this semester’s Adult Literacy courses was launched on 9 September 2022.
