English Club shares its love of reading with Valley children

April 24, 2008

There might be nothing more important in education than a strong foundation in literacy, and the ASU English Club is doing its part to spread love for reading and writing to young students.<separator></separator>Club members, who are undergraduate English majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – take their love of English into the community, by volunteering at Scottsdale-based All-Star Kids Tutoring.<separator></separator>“We read and do other fun activities with the children,” says Ginger Hanson, a junior majoring in English and conservation biology, and president of the English Club.<separator></separator>“We’re in a privileged position to be able to go to a university. We want to do all we can to help others get here,” says Hanson.<separator></separator>The club provides English majors an opportunity to use their study of their subject as a positive influence at ASU and in the community.<separator></separator>“We want to do anything we can to create interest in the written word,” says Hanson.<separator></separator>The club recently co-sponsored a question and answer session on the Tempe campus with “warrior poets and papermakers,” where members and other students discussed the project “Combat Paper” with Iraqi Veterans Against the War.<separator></separator>Similarly, club members are using their skills and love of English at All-Star Kids Tutoring, where they provide one-on-one tutoring for elementary school children performing below grade level.<separator></separator>The English Club also held a Holiday Book Drive last December to benefit All-Star Kids Tutoring. More than 560 new and used books were collected.<separator></separator>According to Hanson, book drives are an important part of the tutoring program, because as many as 61 per cent of low-income families do not own books for their children. The program believes that access to reading material at home great improves a student’s chance for success at school.<separator></separator>“Our book drive was very successful and we plan to hold it again next year,” she says.<separator></separator>Ashley Lange, <a href="mailto:ashley.lange@asu.edu">ashley.lange@asu.edu</a> 480-965-1441 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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