CYA Summer Eskwela Uses Gospel Komiks for Lessons

In the summer of 2012, CFA’s Gospel Komiks was one of the chosen reading materials of the “Summer Eskwela,” organized by Christ’s Youth in Action (CYA). The “Escuela” program launched a series of advance lessons for children from Grades 1-6 in Sucat Elementary School, Parañaque City, with the CYA members acting as teachers to 104 students.

Gospel Komiks (GK) is CFA’s most widely recognized publication. Launched in 1980, it is a pioneer in popularizing Sunday Gospel readings, translating them into contemporary illustrated stories. It contains Sunday liturgical readings, reflection guides and explanations of the text which help young people understand the Gospel readings and deepen their faith. The bi-monthly magazine reaches more than half a million readers nationwide through annual subscriptions. CFA also supports various summer youth outreach programs by providing copies of the magazines for values formation of kids in public schools.

The magazines aided students in practicing their reading and comprehension skills. Even beyond these essential abilities, what the students appreciated most were the life values they learned from the stories. Students from Grades 3-6 were given assignments and homework to determine their understanding of the articles, so they could better appreciate the texts. They were asked to read one story from Pambata or Gospel Komiks and to draw a picture of the story based on their interpretation. The following day, selected students presented their works in front of the class.

They were all one in saying that the Gospel Komiks and Pambata were helpful tools for them to gain values and understanding of the Bible. Reading Gospel Komiks, Donna, Trina and Joy of Grade 6 all realized the importance of going to mass as a family, hearing God’s word and applying it in their lives. On the other hand, Ronnel and Leila of Grade 4, who read Pambata, acquired many practical values from the stories they read, such as helping one another and being honest and not deceiving others.

They all agreed that the use of visual images enticed them to read the stories and helped them picture what was happening in the parables. Students liked the stories and learned a lot from them. In general, everyone was delighted with the donated copies, which provided the opportunity to practice reading and learning at the same time. Christ’s Youth in Action acknowledged with appreciation the valuable contribution that the CFA magazines made to the success of this year’s Summer Eskwela.

CYA is a national movement of college-age youth whose main aim is to form young people in the Christian faith and train them for leadership and service in the Church. (Article contributed by Beatrice Anne Malveda, CYA member)