I Read Foundation

Continuing to honor the teachers that support our educational mission this , we are thrilled to spotlight Lyford Cay Scholar Anniska Johnson, a Bahamian teacher and founder of The Literacy Center 242.

Originally intending to go into the field of Law, Anniska began her academic career at the University of St. Augustine, where she reconsidered her path and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Language Arts. Tutoring in Nassau for a period of time thereafter, she encountered a high demand for one-on-one assistance to address literacy issues in children. So after pursuing her Masters in Reading from Lincoln University with support from a Lyford Cay Foundations Graduate Scholarship, Anniska earned her reading specialist certification and opened The The Literacy Center 242 to offer one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions to improve literacy, such as in reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension—work that she continues even today through distance learning.

In addition to her work at the Literacy Center 242, Anniska also teaches Language & Literature at C. I. Gibson Senior High School, adjusting quickly to the COVID-19 emergency measures to ensure her students don’t miss a beat. She also spent a year as a mentor in the Lyford Cay Foundations Cutillas Scholars programme, where guided selected students in forming strategies for success, such as study schedules and time management tools. These days, she is working hard to bring a new educational vision to life: the I READ Foundation, a non-profit that will give students who are struggling a safe space to receive reading comprehension assistance to improve their lives.

“I think teachers are amazing because every day, they have a chance to change a life,” says Anniska. “If you think about it, all of the good in us, all of our dreams—teachers made that happen. We have all been influenced by a teacher who shaped our lives for the better. That’s why we should be celebrated.”

Thanks for changing the world one letter at a time, Anniska! This , we celebrate you and all of the other specialists who give additional support to their students!