Elementary students visit campus for ‘Literacy Alive!’

If it’s never too early to start thinking about college, then 145 local third graders are off to a good start after acting as honorary 49ers during the annual “Literacy Alive! Read-in” at UNC Charlotte.

Hosted by the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and offered as an extension of the North Star Reading Partners Initiative, “Literacy Alive!” is meant to be a first step in preparing students to be college ready. Through a series of hands-on events, students from Newell Elementary got a firsthand look at college life and the importance of education.

The third graders recently took a walking tour of campus in the morning and then talked with UNC Charlotte College of Education students about the college experience. In the afternoon, they built and raced “puffer cars” as the day’s STEM education activity and sat for interactive readings with students and faculty.

“All eyes were lit with a new purpose for education and a new heart for learning. The energy on their faces sparked a sense of determination and ownership in their choices,” said Jen Boysko, literacy facilitator at Newell Elementary.

Boysko said the opportunity to directly experience the college environment was invaluable for the young students. “Everyone needs a reminder to push harder, be relentless with perseverance and make their own contribution to the world. Teachers do that daily, but students realized their potential on this day.”

Clinical professor Misty Hathcock advises the UNC Charlotte chapter of Kappa Delta Pi. She said the event is equally valuable for her students and advances the college’s goal of supporting early literacy.

“I am very proud of the service our chapter members have provided through the read-in as well as the sustained community partnerships they have established and supported over the years,” Hathcock said.

It’s the sixth time the Omicron Pi chapter has hosted Kappa Delta Pi’s signature service initiative. Last year, the chapter was recognized as a “Literacy Alive!” top projects winner and received the Gold Award. Only five chapters receive this award each year out of 150 projects submitted for recognition.

The North Star Reading Partners Initiative is a district-wide program at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. It brings community and business volunteers into schools to work with individual students on a one-to-one basis. In addition to the College of Education’s support of the program through “Literacy Alive!,” dozens of students and faculty serve as individual tutors for CMS students.

Kappa Delta Pi member Megan Kupsky, who helped organize the event this year, said the interactive reading sessions were especially memorable.

“For those 20 minutes, it didn’t matter how old they were or what school they went to. For 20 minutes, it was reading to a group of friends and sharing with each other about their own dreams and how to accomplish those dreams.”

Student North Carolina Association of Educators (SNCAE), the UNC Charlotte IDEAL Teacher Education Learning Community, Center for STEM Education, UNC Charlotte Office of Community Affairs, Atkins Library and Athletic Academic Center also contributed to the event.