MORE than 100 schools across Northern Ireland are taking part in this year's cross-curriculum literacy programme run by The Irish News.
Around 6,500 pupils are set to benefit from the Young News Readers project, which aims to introduce a new generation of readers to the power of news.
Over eight weeks, children from primary and post-primary schools are receiving weekly school editions of The Irish News covering important topics and issues affecting young people while supporting schools’ critical literacy programmes.
Now in its fifth year, the scheme sponsored by Translink, Fujitsu, EY and St Mary’s University College aims to help teachers empower pupils to access, understand, analyse and participate in the news. As well as the weekly school edition of the newspaper, lesson plans are also provided in a bid to support literacy skills and learning.
Among those to get involved has been Belfast Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl, who said she is keen for young people to "have a clear voice in their city".
In an article for the school edition, Ms Nicholl - the first person in recent times to hold the mayoral position who was not born in Britain or Ireland - has looked back on her childhood and her path into politics.
Born in Zimbabwe to a Co Down father and a mother from South Africa, she moved to Northern Ireland when she was 12.
"My parents’ marriage had broken up not long before we left, and now we were in a strange place and in a country I knew very little about," she said.
"It was a daunting experience and a very difficult time in my life. But the people of Belfast made us feel very welcome.
"My mum had decided to leave South Africa very quickly when violence broke out over apartheid so I didn’t get to finish primary school and I had to leave all my friends behind and that was very tough - I often think about them.
"But despite the upset of moving to a different country, in time I realised that it brought so many different experiences as well."
Ms Nicholl attended Methodist College Belfast, later becoming a researcher for the Alliance Party, the first step on a road that would eventually lead to her taking up the post of lord mayor.
She said one of her first policies on entering City Hall was to focus on the health and wellbeing of young people.
"It’s really hard for teenagers, especially as they face so many pressures – it’s easy for them to believe negative things," she said.
"They need to think about what they like about themselves and learn to respect it.
"And keep in mind what you should be grateful for – not that you should ignore any difficulties, but thinking about the strong, positive forces around you will help you stay positive."
