BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers, has successfully concluded the fifth edition of its flagship penmanship program, Express Myself with My BIC Pen. Focusing on creativity and innovation, the program aims to encourage students to express themselves using writing and drawing.
Express Myself with My BIC Pen expanded to Western Kenya this year, including Nakuru, Kisumu, and Eldoret. This year, Express Myself with My BIC Pen targeted 50 schools, impacting over 16,000 students.
Commenting on the initiative’s success, Paloma Lengema, General Manager of BIC East Africa, said: “At BIC, we believe that quality education extends beyond basic writing tools. It is also about nurturing creative expression and critical thinking skills. Express Myself with My BIC Pen embodies our commitment to empowering students with the confidence to articulate their thoughts and stories. The enthusiasm we’ve witnessed from students and teachers has been truly inspiring, reinforcing our dedication to expanding this program further.”
Express Myself with My BIC Pen trains teachers through dedicated workshops to leverage writing and drawing tools for self-expression. The teachers work with students individually and in groups and help achieve the objectives through various methods and engaging students in competitions. This comprehensive approach engages teachers and students alike; equipping teachers with the necessary tools to engage students year after year.
“Creative writing is a fundamental skill that helps students develop critical thinking and self-expression abilities that serve them throughout their academic journey and beyond.” said Veronica Maiywa, headteacher, Crater Comprehensive School, Nakuru. “This program has transformed how our teachers approach writing in general and has sparked remarkable creativity amongst our students. We are pleased to work with companies such as BIC that are committed to the communities in which they operate and that bring novelty in the programs, that our students can benefit from.”
Express Myself with My BIC Pen kicked off in 2020 under the slogan, My Words, My Story, My BIC Pen. Initially the program helped students perfect their handwriting as they transitioned from using graphite pencils to pens. In 2024, the program expanded to Express Myself with My BIC Pen to reach a larger number of students across various education levels, and incorporate creativity in le-expression, through writing and drawing.
To date, the initiative has impacted over 60,000 students. It complements other education-driven initiatives in Kenya including BIC’s flagship Buy Me and BIC Will Donate a Pen program, which has provided over 15,000 students with writing tools to date.
BIC is committed to improve learning conditions for 250 million students by the year 2025. This stems from its sustainable development program Writing the Future Together.
