Scotland’s First Minister said visiting Prestwick felt ‘like coming home’ when she surprised school pupils to congratulate them on winning a top reading award.
Nicola Sturgeon praised Prestwick Academy students yesterday for scooping the Reading Inspiration Award as part of the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.
The award recognises the school’s overall commitment towards reading, encouraging youngsters to explore the world through books.
Ms Sturgeon – whose family were born and raised in Prestwick and who spent the first year of her life on the site where the school is – spent the morning hearing from pupils about their personal reading journeys and the Read Woke Scotland initiative, aimed at encouraging young people to read more diverse and inclusive titles.
And the First Minister even signed the school’s library window with a quote from Sunset Song – a book which she told Ayrshire Live deepened her love of literature and ‘gave me inspiration in a lot of different ways’.
She told pupils: “Schools all over the country competed for this award, so well done.
“Reading books is one of the best things in life. There’s nothing you go through in life that there’s not a book for.”
Speaking to Ayrshire Live, Ms Sturgeon said: “I think reading is so important.
“We know it helps kids with literacy and wider education – all of that is really important and it’s a key part of why we do the First Minister’s Reading Challenge – but for me it’s much more fundamental than that.
“Reading, particularly fiction, opens windows to parts of the world you’ve never been to, experiences you’ve never had, periods of history that you didn’t live through.
“It improves your knowledge, your understanding of the world, and gives a sense of empathy to other people with different experiences – and it’s just good fun.
“If I’m stressed about something or having a tough time, there’s very few things that reading a book – at least to some extent – won’t help me with."
Ms Sturgeon said she loved coming back to her Ayrshire roots – adding it felt like home.
She said: “I love coming back to Ayrshire.
“My mum was born and grew up in Prestwick and went to this school when it was Prestwick High, as did my uncle – who contributes to the Ayrshire Post to this day.
“My grandparents lived in Prestwick until they died so Prestwick is part of where I grew up.
“I actually lived in Prestwick on the site of this school until I was a year-and-a-half old – I don’t remember that but Prestwick is part of home to me. So yes, it’s like coming home.”
Pupils were thrilled to receive a visit from the First Minister and accept the Reading Inspiration Award which will take pride of place in the school.
S5 pupil Ruth said: “It was good to see that she genuinely likes reading, and is interested in it as much as we are, which doesn’t always feel the same way with other politicians.
“Read Woke has really been helpful to me as it’s given me an insight into different topics.
“It made me understand racism a lot more – because when you’re reading it you are that person.”
Arianne, also S5, added: “You can really tell it means a lot to her [Ms Sturgeon].
“It was a really nice experience; seeing someone else who just really loves book and who can inspire us."
Elaine Harrigan, head teacher at Prestwick Academy, said: “We are delighted to have won the Reading Inspiration Award in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.
“Initiatives such as our Read Woke challenge give young people the chance to explore the world through books and to find genres and formats that most interest them.
“We are thrilled that their efforts have been recognised with this award.
“We hope that their success provides further motivation and inspiration for future young people of Prestwick Academy.”
The First Minister’s Reading Challenge was launched in 2016 and is delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, on behalf of the Scottish Government.
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