America Reads and the Education Committee for the Rice Student Volunteer Program (RSVP) have a full week of activites planned for National Literacy Action Week (NLAW). They began on Monday by hosting a collage-making event, where organizations involved in education on the Rice campus or in the greater Houston community were invited to bring pictures of their
Tonight they are hosting a pizza study break, where all Rice community service organizations with an interest in literacy can leave pamphlets and information for the students to pick up about ways they can get involved. Teachers from Teach for America will hold a question/answer session and talk about their real-life experiences to further the cause of bringing more equality to the great education disparity present in the United States.
On Thursday, students are hosting a movie showing of Freedom Writers in Farnsworth Pavilion at 7 P.M. The movie portrays the real struggle of a high school English teacher trying to inspire her class of at-risk children to appreciate education. After the film, they will hold a discussion of issues raised in the film.
Finally on Friday, Rice will do an off-campus service day at Star of Hope Mission. Different stations will be set up for the children such as crafts, games, and storytelling. Books used for the activities will then be donated to the Mission. The goal is to serve as positive role models for the children, and provide a way for Rice undergrads to serve in the community.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Sonia // Feb 1, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Last night we watched the inspiring film Freedom Writers which addresses many of the educational disparities present in today’s society. The students were able to see an inside perspective on why students have difficulty valuing education, and all the obstacles they must overcome to graduate high school. The discussion section following the movie led to some interesting insights about the different backgrounds the student body comes from.
Today, we will be going to the transitional living center to work with young children. It is a great opportunity for the tutors and other undergraduates to serve as role models to the children and further identify with the different groups in their community. The students are very excited to meet the children.
2 Sonia // Feb 3, 2008 at 9:44 am
The Friday event at Star of Hope was amazing. The children really opened up to the volunteers and were excited by the stories. The youngest ones were excited by Caps for Sale while the older ones
enjoyed Magic School Bus adventures. I think their favorite part was the crafts section afterwards. They are all so talented and creative. Overall, it was rewarding to both the volunteers and the kids.
We are extremely grateful for the grant money that was given to the university from SCALE. It enabled us to expand awareness on our campus about literacy issues and go out to the community to serve those in need.
3 Dennis // Feb 6, 2008 at 10:39 am
On Wednesday, a study break hosted by the Education Committee of RSVP featured a teacher from the Teach for America program in Houston. She spoke to a group of students about the urgent needs facing disadvantaged students all over the country, and fielded questions from the certification one needs to the types of majors most urgently needed in the program. This event served to bring the real experiences of a teacher and a passion for education to Rice students, and further heighten the profile of Teach for America on campus.
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