USAID's Readers are Leaders Project organized the second edition of its “Speech4Teach – Inspiration for Education” conference. Distinguished practicioners, writers, parents and children presented inspirational ideas on literacy and education. Among the speakers who shared their stories and ideas on education were Vesela Bogdanovikj, considered a Top 50 innovative educator worldwide, and actor Gorast Cvetkovski, who talked about his role as a parent in the digital era. The event commemorated ‘Book Month’ traditionally celebrated from October 15 – November 15 across schools in Macedonia.

In his remarks, USAID Country Representative David Atteberry emphasized, “Education and literacy are essential to sustainability and building national capacity in learning, and creating societies based on knowledge, values and ethics. Literacy skills are fundamental to informed decision-making, personal empowerment, and active and passive participation in local and global social communities. He added, “I am tremendously delighted that today we heard the voices of talented professionals, parents and students. Let this be the time when we learn from each other, and invest what we learn in creating a better perspective for generations to come.”

The USAID Readers are Leaders Project, implemented by the Foundation for Education and Cultural Initiatives Step by Step, assesses and improves early grade reading and numeracy while promoting broader community appreciation for their fundamental importance. Through this program, for the first time in Macedonia, reading and math assessment tools, developed specifically for early primary grade levels were administered in Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish languages. The project offers innovative and creative approaches and activities, including The Letters and Numbers Roadshow, and Mobile and Digital Libraries with suitable learning material for students, parents, and teachers. Speech4Teach’s first edition was organized in October 2016, and generated immense interest among many visitors, including educators and parents. For more information please visit http://stepbystep.org.mk/mk/proekt-ral