Meet the Founder
Tara Walcott
-Founder and Director of The Literacy Project
"education serves as the vehicle to ultimately enable opportunities to meaningfully interact with and positively impact our world"
Why I started The Literacy Project Charity
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I am passionate about literacy and education, and the value to oneself and society that may be derived from being of selfless service to others. Literacy and Education are inextricably linked in that the ability to competently read and write forms the foundation for education, whilst education serves as the vehicle to ultimately enable opportunities to meaningfully interact with and positively impact our world. We owe it to our youth and future generations, therefore, to provide them with these crucial literacy tools to empower them to ably navigate their educational journey.
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Through both my work in Higher Education and conducting voluntary Reading sessions with children from various communities, I became highly sensitized to how poor literacy skills create tangible academic deficits and in some cases hindering psychological impacts. I therefore felt compelled to commit to being a change agent in this respect.
What inspires me
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Persons who are unafraid to stand out from the crowd, who stand for something and are authentically driven to make a difference for the good of others; persons who make lemonade when life throws them lemons; my colorful kids; volunteerism and the fulfillment it brings!
What ruffles my feathers
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Apathy; obvious talent and skill not fostered.
More about me
I am British born, but raised for most of my formative and teenage years in the beautiful island of Barbados – an experience, as I always tell my parents, for which I’ll be eternally grateful. However, having returned to the United Kingdom, where I embarked upon my Higher Education Studies and career endeavours, would represent yet another priceless journey of self-discovery, again, for which I’ll be eternally grateful. I’m thankful for the rich experiences and learning opportunities that I’ve been highly fortunate to have amassed.
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Many moons ago, I operated in the field of Human Resources Management – inherently drawn to matters of human connection, development and wellbeing in a work context - however a period of postgraduate level study would peak my interest in the area of social justice and serve as the impetus for my transition into the field of Education. An immediate love for Teaching and Learning practice, being a mentor, guide and inspiration to students from all walks of life, and very quickly earning the status of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, would keep me there…..
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I am an Education Consultant and also work as a champion for literacy through The Literacy Project Charity and the provision of tutoring support to persons with gaps in their reading and writing, in Barbados. I am also a wife, mom to two treasures, daughter of and sister to the best parents and brother in the world!
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I look forward to and embrace continually evolving….
Meet the Team
Michelle Banfield
Principal Volunteer and Tutor
I am an elementary school teacher who has been teaching for over 20 years. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Caribbean parents, education has always been a priority in my household. My passion for education especially of children in the early years fueled my desire to achieve a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and later a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. I know that I cannot teach all of the world’s children, but I volunteer my time to make sure that more children in my corner of the world will develop a love for literacy. To be given the opportunity via the Literacy Project Charity to interact with our Nation’s youth, and use my voice to draw listeners in to the characters, their feelings, their stories is an amazing privilege and one that I am extremely passionate about.
Gillian Thompson
Senior Volunteer and Tutor
I have been teaching for over 25 years and was educated and trained in the United Kingdom. I am qualified at Masters Level in Teacher Training and have also taught Numeracy, Literacy and ICT at Community College level, to children from disadvantaged backgrounds in England. I am passionate about helping young people to achieve their full potential and derived great pleasure from working with students that had ‘dropped out’ of the education system, helping them return to their academic journey.
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Since moving to Barbados in 2012 I have worked for the Ministry of Education as a Specialist Consultant to develop an online programme for Literacy and Numeracy, and have implemented the programme with ‘at risk’ students at the Tertiary Level, with excellent results.
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I began working with The Literacy Project in June 2018 at their Summer Camp. I enjoy being a member of the team teaching both Literacy and Numeracy in a fun and engaging way! I love working with young people and have found the response from both students and parents extremely rewarding.
Patricia Murray
Senior Volunteer
I have been a Science Educator since 1995. Currently, I teach Chemistry at Queen's College in Barbados.
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As an educator, I understand the importance of literacy. This is especially important in my discipline. Students are no longer expected to be passive recipients of facts but rather they need to analyze and synthesize knowledge and to be critical thinkers and problems solvers. Literacy is the bedrock of these skills.
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As a volunteer for the Literacy Project Charity, I have enjoyed interacting with the children and their parents at the Barbados National Library Storytime. I strongly believe that these sessions are not just enjoyable for the children but also help them develop a love of learning and storytelling. I am proud to be able to touch young lives in this way and to be able to share a love of reading, books and learning not just to my own daughter, but to the children who attend Storytime.
I was born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I am an educator, writer, and researcher. I currently teach West Indian Literature, Creative Writing and Contemporary Science Fiction at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus.
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My love of reading was fostered at a very early age by my parents. This love of reading and writing continues to this day and has impacted my life in tremendous ways. Now through volunteering with The Literacy Project Charity, I seek to foster a joy of reading in other children. I would like for the children I read to, to see how much fun reading could be, how many gateways of imagination it opens, how empowering it is, and how great an impact it can have on their future.
Debra Providence
Senior Volunteer
Abna Arthur-Browne
Senior Volunteer
Most will know me as Abbie. I am a DNA Forensic Scientist and Quality Specialist. Growing up as a young girl, I always enjoyed reading, at home, on the bus on my journey to and from school, even on Sundays where I often read one of the lessons at church. I believe a sound literacy foundation is an important tool in enabling effective communication and a means to broadening one’s horizons.
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Volunteering has always been a way of life for me. My parents set a sterling example, always assisting at school and church events and even set up a youth club in our village. I thoroughly enjoy volunteering with The Literacy Project. I believe if everyone could volunteer in any form, this would lead to a more compassionate society.
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During one of my library sessions, I looked up to see a barely two year old toddler listening intently to the story. At another session, whilst waiting to start, one of the children who regularly attended, was conducting the session for me, her audience was captivated. I thought to myself, with the help of The Literacy Project, this is the future and it is bright.
I’m a 22 year-old UWI Graduate in Literatures in English.
Currently, I’m a temporary English teacher, but I’ve always dreamed of becoming a best-selling author because I love to read and I try to encourage others to do the same.
Before, my intention was to get people to see that reading could be just as fun as watching TV or playing video games. Now, being a teacher in the secondary school system in Barbados, I realise that all children need to be encouraged to read more in order to become more literate.
For me, being literate means being able to read and write well, and being able to think critically. These views are part of why I enjoy volunteering with The Literacy Project Charity. Although I initially had my doubts about getting children to become invested in reading and writing, my experience with The Literacy Project helped me to see that lots of children are very eager to read and express themselves. They just need someone to help them develop the necessary skills. Being one of the persons to help some children through this process has been the most rewarding experience for me so far, and I intend to keep volunteering with the Charity to nurture children’s development.
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Dawn-Marie O'neale
Volunteer
Rontee Marshall
Volunteer
I’m Ronteé or otherwise known as ‘aunty Ronteé’ to the kids at the National Library. I have a slogan which says: “the secret to escaping is reading! Like magic, we go, poof! Then suddenly we’re in imagination land!” Can you sense my passion for reading here? It first came about when I was five years old and fell in love with my imagination which naturally only led to me discovering the joy of reading and writing. Now, many years later, I am an author of my first book and a recent graduate of the University of the West Indies where I have proudly achieved a Bachelor of Art’s degree in English literature with first-class honours. I volunteer with the Literacy Project Charity because I know first-hand how reading is beneficial to a child’s educational upbringing. It’s also filled with many adventures! Simply by turning the pages of a book, I watch as the children at the library experience a whole new world of possibilities as the story adds to their knowledge and stimulates their imagination. Though true that not every child will love reading, I believe it should be encouraged as it will aid them greatly in whoever they want to be when they grow up.
I study French and Spanish at the University of the West Indies.
Literacy is important. Through literacy, we gain knowledge and form opinions and we are able to share that knowledge and those opinions with others.
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I believe that everyone should find a way to give back. I volunteer with the Literacy Project Charity to read with the children because children are the future and I want to have a positive impact in their lives. My favourite experiences are the times when the children would themselves read the stories, the times they offer their opinions and ask questions, and when we work together to complete their activities
Makayla Rochester
Volunteer