BONA, IPB University Students’ Creative Steps to Improve Children’s Literacy
More than 100 students of grade 2 and 3 of SDN 01 Cijayanti in Bogor Regency enthusiastically participated in creative educational activities initiated by IPB University Vocational School students from the Digital Communication and Media Study Program.
The activity, which was the final project of the Information Dissemination course, was named the BONA (Children’s Story Dolls) program. The main goal is to improve children’s literacy and creativity through an interactive approach.
As the name implies, this activity utilizes hand puppets and cultured puppets interpreted with animal-shaped puppets. Through this initiative, students not only want to provide entertainment, but also create valuable learning for children and teachers.
From a community perspective, this activity is designed to instill the importance of creative education as part of stimulating children’s growth and development. Children are invited to enjoy the story and engage directly, so that their listening, communication and empathy skills can be honed.
On the other hand, teachers are also indirectly given new insights into how storytelling can be an effective tool to build closer relationships with children.
This activity began with an interactive storytelling session hosted by Fasha Maulana Albogori, a resource person who is also known as the Millennial Aide to the Governor of West Java. In this session, hand puppets became the main medium to convey stories with strong moral messages.
The children present not only listened, but were also invited to dialogue and react to the storyline, creating a fun learning atmosphere. According to Fasha, this approach is very important to build children’s social skills.
“We hope that through activities like this, children can be more active in learning, develop social skills, and understand the importance of empathizing with others,” said Fasha.
After the storytelling session, the event continued with a cultural puppet show interpreted with animal-shaped puppets. This show was presented by students of IPB University’s Digital Communication and Media Program.
The puppets, adapted with modern designs, present stories that are relevant to the lives of today’s children, while raising deep cultural values.
The show captivated the participants, giving them new insights into the importance of preserving traditional culture in a creative way.
This collaboration between traditional approaches and digital innovation demonstrates how cultural heritage can continue to live and thrive among the younger generation.
The BONA event is a true testament to the positive synergy between the academic world and the community. In addition to having a direct impact on children and parents, this activity is also expected to be a practical learning event for students.
In carrying out this activity, students gain valuable experience in designing educational programs while making a real contribution to society. With the full support of the school and the local community, this program is expected to be an inspirational model for future activities. (IAAS/RUM)
