A group of freshman students in Auburn University's College of Liberal Arts and the Public Good Learning Community were recently awarded a $2,000 grant to provide books for area preschoolers.
"This is an operation to put books in homes and make family literacy possible," said Cathy Gafford, director of Jean Dean Reading is Fundamental.
These students spent last spring semester studying and learning how reading directly improves human living.
The students used their class time discussing different reading materials to help them better understand its effect on arts and humanities. They were also taught how non-profit businesses work, as well as the process for obtaining grants.
"This was a special case, (Central Alabama Community Foundation) is glad to be involved with Auburn students and showing them how non profits and grants work," said Carol Butler, president of Central Alabama Community Foundation.
Next, students went out into the community to read to preschoolers at local Head Start centers and looked at different social and economic challenges facing these communities.
For their final project in the class, students wrote grant applications totaling $2,000 to help provide books for the children. The students then gave a public presentation to funders explaining the importance for children to have exposure to books.
"This will help prepare preschoolers for kindergarten and get them exposure to books," Gafford said. "It will also get them interested in learning and help them read more."
After their presentation, the students were notified by the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley and the Central Alabama Community Foundation that they had approved their applications for the grants.
"I was very impressed with the students' presentation," Butler said. "They had already done research and helped with children and knew how the books would be distributed. They also wrote a very good proposal and provided a viable case to us."
The two foundations will use the grant funds to buy and distribute the books to preschoolers throughout Macon and Chambers counties, with the help of class partner Jean Dean Reading is Fundamental of Opelika.
"Our goal is to supply every Head Start in Alabama and all at-risk children with books," Gafford said.
Rachel Little, a sophomore in studio art, is grateful she got the opportunity to participate in the class.
"Not only were we taught how to work together with those organizations, but we shared in the rewards of their passion and generosity," Little said in a news release. "Who would have thought that a skill we all take for granted could bring smiles to so many young faces? We hope our efforts will instill a love for learning among these children."
This project was coordinated by the Community and Civic Engagement Initiative in the College of Liberal Arts.
"This is our first year working with this Auburn group, and I hope we will be able to do it again in the following years," Butler said.
If you are in the University's liberal arts program and would like more information or to become involved, please visit the Auburn liberal arts page at www.auburn.edu/cla.
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