We read together on Saturday at Diverta

Argument

The project ”We read together on Saturday at Diverta”, implemented by RTC Foundation, with the aid of young students, inside the reading spaces of Diverta stores, proposes to promote, in an innovating manner, the books as objects which are still part of the Internet age, being modern, attractive and informative. All reasonable efforts that have been used therein have been subsequently centralized towards raising the awareness of a young and misinformed public who has a preconceived opinion about books.
The RTC foundation, acting as partner and friend of children involved in the respective activity with dedication and enthusiasm. The role of Diverta network stores has played an important role since the beginning, both as supplier of books and as certified partner of cultural events. Customers and visitors of Diverta stores, represented by parents and children have been agreeably taken by surprise by such an approach: a free reading, within a public place, which invites the readers to express their opinions or makes reference to the reading of a book with a view to form an opinion.

When and why the project was initiated

After several stimulations, the promoters have already felt prepared and impatient to start reading. These simulations were successful which triggered the experimental launching of the first four “Reading Workshops for Children” in the month of November, 2007.
The workshops organized by Diverta and supported by young students and actors of the RTC Foundation team also proposed to bring among the children, guests from the mass media and the press, writers in order to further debate and read together with the promoters and the children. Last but not least, one of the objective set forth by this project consisted in the weekly modification of the children reading space promoted by Diverts which was further turned into a place for reading, so that children would acknowledge the joy of the written word.

The description of the actual activity:

 Every Saturday, for an hour, during the interval 16:00- 17:00, the promoters would accomplish reading activities using the dialogue, the game and improvised activities in order to draw the attention of children inside the world of books.
            In the beginning, children targeted by these workshops should have been between 8 and 12 years old, but the youngest have been also captivated and received with arms wide open.
As its last objective, this project brings forward the idea that these workshops would eventually make an integral part of the weekly programme as an alternative for spending the spare time, inside Diverta workshops. Currently, schools, kindergartens, writers and cultivated people all attend our programme in order to spend among us this type of cultural relationship.

Planning of the reading sessions:

Reading workshops have been organized within the Diverta stores located inside Vitan, Plazza and Unirii shopping centres beginning with the month of November. Promoters from Iasi have joined the Bucharest team thus supporting the workshop from Diverta store inside Iulius shopping centre. We intend to open 13 active workshops throughout our country and adjacent cultural events until the end of 2008.
    
 Who are actually the promoters?

           The promoters are students committed to our cultural creed. They read the books proposed by Diverta and search for an attractive modality to display their contents during the workshops taking place every Saturday. During this common experience they meet each other and develop within an attractive cultural insertion, love and further carry on their love for reading to children and students. They represent a powerful and motivating example for all of us. They are enthusiastic and easily become relationship multipliers within Diverta.
 Plans for the future

The workshop shall further take place inside the previously mentioned locations but we intend to organize and develop, in 2008, 455 reading workshops in other three places located in Bucharest and 10 Diverta Stores throughout the country (Oradea, Brasov, Alba-iulia, Constanta , Cluj, Iasi, Ploiesti, Sibiu, Timisoara, Targu Mures,). We are in the process of concluding the Partnership Agreement with MECT and ISMB, subsequent to which schoolmasters, educators and teachers participating to this Project should be rewarded by certificates as briefing for extra-curriculum activities (an additional credit to the annual salary of merit).

How a reading workshop is being carried out (elements taken over from proofs and reports drawn up by promoters)

                First of all children are acquainted with the book to be read, this gradually evolving into an interactive, entertaining and creating debate. The promoters never read by themselves, they induce the children to pay attention and to join them for a better receptivity of the story or tale. The end brings along games, people talk about what has been read, children are awarded prizes or a moral, depending on the thoughts or imagination of the promoter. Children are sometimes accompanied by their parents who are also involved in the game and pleasure of reading. During workshops, promoters resort to games, surprises for children, prize competitions and plenty of other activities specific for the age of the public.

Reactions evoked by the children
                 Children reacted very well, involved within these workshops, they were delighted and fascinated by events occurring every Saturday at Diverta. They actually constitute the main reason for which this workshop has been conceived and organized; they represent the focus of our attention and have the most important say on this activity. As one expected from this wide project, the workshop is a real success having a positive effect on children who are drummed into culture through some simple modalities, agreeable and preferred by the children.

As last words
                               
                RTC Foundation, in partnership with Diverta, provides a warming and exciting environment for children. It opens the gate towards culture, towards knowledge by means of books and brings forward, as support, a team of young people to approach and provide them valuable teaching.
                A great part of the projects' objectives have been fulfilled; the project is a success and aims at accomplishing many other wonder-working things in order to support the children’s acquaintance with the book read, a treasure in danger of vanishing away.
DIVERTA inside COMMUNITY and COMMUNITY at Diverta represent the two perspective directions belonging to this Project.
                At the beginning of the 2008-2009-school year 3 partnerships concluded with 3 schools from Bucharest started, located in the neighbourhood of shopping centres. Permanent guests to Diverta, parents, teachers and young people meet within the relation, literary creation, game, reading and culture workshops. These centres are operating under the auspices
EXPLORE EXPERIMENT DISCOVER
Diverta Education Centres and we consider them a good start for the identification of Diverta with current and future beneficiaries.