On February 25, 2017, English reigned supreme at the Municipal Secondary School of Koudougou. U. S. Peace Corps volunteers, working with local English teachers and administrators, organized an English Day filled with contests and activities for all junior and senior high students at the school. Neighborhood elementary school children squeezed in the front on the floor, drawn by the excitement generated by older sisters and brothers. The U. S. Embassy in Ouagadougou was present and provided pocket dictionaries, audio books, USB keys, book bags, and more as prizes for more than 50 top performing students in dictation, poetry recitation, singing, and debate. Through speeches, songs, and English Club skits, all students were encouraged to pursue excellence in their English studies in order to be poised for future educational, exchange, and economic opportunities. By the end of the day, with prize bags in hand and beaming faces all around, motivation to follow that advice was running higher than ever.
