English Club shares its love of reading with Valley children

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.

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.

“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.

“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.

The club provides English majors an opportunity to use their study of their subject as a positive influence at ASU and in the community.

“We want to do anything we can to create interest in the written word,” says Hanson.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“Our book drive was very successful and we plan to hold it again next year,” she says.

Ashley Lange, ashley.lange@asu.edu
480-965-1441
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences