A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
St. Lawrence students Peter Lynn and Sophie Owen-Jankowski, students Nolie Thompson, and Teionienkwatase, Kaiatehente and Brenda Papineau, the Director of Community Based Learning Partnerships. Missing from photo is Tyra Benedict, Emily King, Anna Thompson and Raighanne Torrence.
Teionienkwatase and Kaiatahente at the Akwesasne Library participating in the St. Lawrence University’s Branching Out With Books program. Photos by Deb Cook
“Branching Out With Books” is new literacy outreach program co-sponsored by St. Lawrence University and SUNY Potsdam. With grant funding from the Charles R. Wood Foundation, Branching Out With Books has strengthened literacy programming at three local schools: Hermon DeKalb Central School, Jefferson Elementary School and Madrid-Waddington Elementary. In addition, a new partnership with the Akwesasne Library (in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club) has made it possible to expand the program to the St. Regis Mohawk School. The overall program goal program is to provide youth with an environment where they can experience reading in a fun and enjoyable manner that also helps build key literacy skills. Each Branching Out With Books site implements literacy programming in unique and creative ways.
At the Akwesasne Library and St. Regis Mohawk School, St. Lawrence University students serve as reading mentors and are solely responsible for implementing programming each week. In any given week, participants will engage in a number of literacy activities that are hands-on and interactive with each session lasting approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. Literacy activities include engaging in one-on-one reading and small group reading sessions, hosting guest speakers, playing word-building games like Apples to Apples, and working on special projects—a current favorite is helping the children design and create a “classroom” book. Between the two program sites, over 20 children in Grades 4-6 are currently participating.
Branching Out With Books will conclude its Fall program on Thursday, December 13th. The Spring program will begin in February 2013. Applications will be made available at the Akwesasne Library and the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club beginning in January 7th, 2013. For more information about the BOWB program, please call the Center for Civic Engagement at St. Lawrence University, 315-229-5095. You may also email, [email protected]
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