Arkansas Reads Program Delivers Books to Delta Elementary School

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U of A Chancellor Joe Steinmetz speaks to Augusta Elementary School students during a visit earlier this semester.

The University of Arkansas delivered 7,000 books to an elementary school in northeast Arkansas earlier this fall as part of its Arkansas Reads program designed to promote literacy in communities across the state.

U of A Chancellor Joe Steinmetz, Vice Provost for Enrollment Services Suzanne McCray and current students traveled to Augusta Elementary in Augusta for a celebratory event with students, the school's principal Richard Greer, Augusta School Superintendent Cathy Tanner and other school supporters. Steinmetz talked to the students — all sporting Razorback red shirts — about the U of A and pursuing college before reading a selection from Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones.

"I love this annual event," Steinmetz said. "The children are wonderful, listening intently to the readings and engaging actively in the hands-on projects. Encouraging reading early is key as the teachers well know. We are happy to have this opportunity to support their efforts."

Since 2009, the Arkansas Reads program has collected over 25,000 books for elementary schools in the Arkansas Delta. Other Arkansas Reads schools include Mildred Jackson Elementary in Hughes, Marvell-Elaine Elementary in Marvell, Whitten Elementary in Marianna, C.B. Partee Elementary in Brinkley, Dermott Elementary in Dermott, Jimmy Brown Elementary in Star City and Drew Central Elementary in Monticello. The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards coordinates the program.

A new initiative in this year's program was the incorporation of a STEM activity for grades 3-5. At the suggestion of the College of Engineering's outreach department, U of A students facilitated the creation of "puff mobiles" by groups of Augusta students. With limited materials, students engineered miniature vehicles that were powered by puffs of air. U of A honors students Julia Nall, Memo Tellez, Maya Ungar and Daniel Webster were on hand at Augusta Elementary to oversee the STEM activity and visit with the students.

The Arkansas Reads program also donated e-readers filled with hundreds of downloaded books at a variety of reading levels, courtesy of a generous donation from a number of campus partners: the African and African American Studies Program, the Brown Chair in English Literacy, Center for Arkansas and Regional Studies, College of Engineering, Honors College and Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

Parice Bowser, director of Greek Life, and the Panhellenic Council, collected many of the books in collaboration with University of Arkansas sororities. Additional books were collected through donation boxes placed around campus. The Arkansas Reads Program has also been supported twice by the Women's Giving Circle, which has provided funding for the program's next school effort at Carroll Smith Elementary in Osceola, Arkansas.

"We were delighted to be in Augusta," said McCray, who is also director of the university's Office of Nationally Competitive Awards. "One teacher remarked that they felt like they had won the lottery. We knew then that our efforts were worthwhile, and we are looking forward to connecting with our next school."

Departments or programs who would like to join the Arkansas Reads Program in collecting books or contributing to the purchase of books should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards by phone at 575-4883 or by email at awards@uark.edu.