VOA慢速英语2011--Program Helps Students Express Themselves with Creative Writing

Education Report - Program Helps Students Express Themselves with Creative Writing

 

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

For almost ten years an organization called Eight Twenty Six has been helping¹ students in the United States become better writers by using their creativity. American writer Dave Eggars and educator Nínive Calegari created the organization in San Francisco.

The program has become so successful that it is now in seven more American cities. This literary² arts program can do things that many public schools cannot.

In the middle of a mostly Latino area, the address Eight Twenty Six Valencia is a fun place for students and visitors. A store that sells pirate³ supplies is located there.

(SOUND)

Leigh Lehman is the head of the program. She says going through a store for pirates⁴ before they reach the program area makes students start to think creatively.

LEIGH LEHMAN: “This is not school; this is not a tutoring center. This is a place for me to be myself and to find my voice and find my creativity and excel⁵.”

The goal of Eight Twenty Six Valencia is to help public school students between six and eighteen years old write creatively.

Students write at desks at one of the eight 826 stores.

During the day, classes come to the program and volunteers help with writing projects. After school, students come for help with their school work and creative writing. Many of the children here are from immigrant families.

LEIGH LEHMAN: “A lot of the parents don’t speak English as a first language so it’s harder for them to help their children with school work. So we’re trying to provide the services that parents wouldn’t otherwise be able to offer their kids for free.”

The program now serves thirty thousand students in eight American cities.

Each city has a different theme – from a store for pirates in San Francisco to a store for spies in Chicago.

The program’s National Chief Executive⁶ is Gerald Richards. He says reduced school budgets mean less money for arts education in the public schools. As that goes away, he says, so does the ability for students to use their imagination.

GERALD RICHARDS: “I think there is much more of a focus on science, technology, engineering and math. There’s a lot of a focus on testing and a lot of the teaching that’s going on in the schools is focusing on the test and passing the test rather than thinking about how do we get kids to think. How do we get them to reason.”

Mister Richards says being creative and thinking up new ideas are important even in the sciences. He says knowing how to write well will help students get to college and beyond.

GERALD RICHARDS: “For jobs and employers and just every subject is the ability to communicate well really does open a lot of doors.”

Leigh Lehman, in San Francisco, says Eight Twenty Six builds students’ confidence by publishing and selling their work at places like the pirate supply store and on the Internet.

(SOUND)

That is Sofia Marquez reading her story. She is proud that it is now in a book.

(SOUND)

Leigh Lehman says…

LEIGH LEHMAN: “That verification that their voice matters and that their stories matter and that their experiences are valid⁷ and important and relevant to other people.”

Sofia Marquez says…

SOFIA MARQUEZ: “I get to use my imagination - that’s why I like writing.”

Last year, Eight Twenty Six programs across the country published nine hundred forty-four volumes of student writing.

And that’s the VOA Special English Education Report. I’m Christopher Cruise⁸.
___

Contributing: Elizabeth Lee

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 literary   

adj.文学（上）的

参考例句：

• Literary works of this kind are well received by the masses.这样的文学作品很受群众欢迎。
• The book was favourably noticed in literary magazines.这本书在文学杂志上得到好评。

3 pirate   

n.海盗，每盗船

参考例句：

• The pirate chief commanded that the prisoners should be shot.海盗头子下令枪毙俘虏。
• The shore batteries fired at the pirate boat.海岸炮兵向海盗船开火。

4 pirates   

n.海盗( pirate的名词复数 )；剽窃者；侵犯版权者；非法播音的人（或组织）

参考例句：

• Children dressed (themselves) up as pirates. 孩子们假扮成海盗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The pirates treated their captives with barbarity. 海盗们残暴地对待他们的俘虏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 excel   

v.胜过，优于，杰出，善于，擅长于

参考例句：

• If your talent combines with diligence,you can excel in your pursuit.如果你把天赋与勤奋结合起来，你所追求的事业便会出类拔萃。
• He is working hard to excel his predecessors.他正努力超越他的前任。

6 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

7 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

8 cruise   

v.巡航，航游，缓慢巡行；n.海上航游

参考例句：

• They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
• She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。