Page 83 - Future Leaders 2018-2019

Literature

Future Leader Bonnie- we established a project designed encourage young people to set high
Ruth Samuyiwa, talks to improve young lives through the goals and aspire to reach them, and
power of storytelling.
my participation in local reading
about transforming young Expose the Prose is a website where schemes has given me greater insight
lives through the power of teenagers can submit short stories into the vital role that literature plays
in the wellbeing and growth of young
for their peers to like, comment on,
storytelling rate and share. Storytelling is not people.
merely a creative outlet; it encourages One such scheme is the Story
self-expression, and confi dence, and Lab summer reading challenge, a
ne trait which unites inspires a sense of wellbeing. project run by the Reading Agency
visionaries, inventors, The name of the brand highlights in partnership with local libraries,
O pioneers and trailblazers the need for expression amongst designed to improve children’s
is that they all stepped out on a young people, and I want to provide literacy. As a volunteer, I observed
dream, fi nding the confi dence to teenagers with a supportive space
believe in themselves even when to enable their voices to be heard.
others didn’t. Dreaming big takes Young people are the reason for,
courage, but it also takes hard work. and the centre of, the Expose
In 2014, the Guardian reported that project, and I believe that learning
one in fi ve black children believe opportunities will be increased as Research has shown
their skin colour impedes their teenagers write, read and share their
success prospects, and this statistic stories in a social space. that peer recognition
highlights the urgent work that Research has shown that peer in a safe environment
needs to be done to change the recognition in a safe environment can can play a major role
self-perception of BAME youth. play a major role in the development
The idea for the Expose of young people, and it is for this in the development
the Prose project began a reason that I aim to publish a of young people…
number of years ago when selection of the most popular
my father read some of my stories, giving the young authors
short stories. As I improved a share of the profi ts. I want to fi rst-hand as children grew in
my writing skills and have a social impact, inspiring confi dence and discovered a love of
won creative accolades, a sense of collective ownership all forms of storytelling. Being able to
he saw a positive change regarding the brand. see such a positive change has been
in my confi dence Studying English incredibly rewarding.
and aspirations. Literature at The aim of the Expose the Prose
Together, Cambridge has project is to inspire teenagers to
we began to given me the dream big, shattering all limiting
think of the opportunity to self-perceptions about what can be
individual and use my literary accomplished. It is my intention to
social benefi ts knowledge in the create a young, socially-connected
of a creative Expose project as literary community, where young
platform a way of giving people can be heard, discover their
for young back. As the creativity and become the leaders and
people, and co-founder, I innovative thinkers of tomorrow.

10 ANNIVERSARY EDITION FUTURE LEADERS 81
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