WT AmeriCorps to Serve with Local Literacy Groups

Copy by Sophia Britto, WT AmeriCorps communication coordinator
CONTACT: Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Children in Amarillo will get the gift of new stories through partnerships between West Texas A&M University’s AmeriCorps program and two local nonprofits—The Leaders Readers Network and Storybridge.

Members of WT AmeriCorps will read to Amarillo-area elementary school students Jan. 14 and 16 and Feb. 7 for Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, a nationwide effort for AmeriCorps programs to serve their communities in honor of King’s legacy.

Through partnering with The Leader Readers Network, members of WT AmeriCorps are assisting the nonprofit in their mission to support equitable education and literacy for all.

WT AmeriCorps members will visit Willow Vista Early Childhood Academy in Amarillo, nonprofit community center The Place in Amarillo, and Canyon Independent School District’s Lakeview Elementary School.

After reading to the students, members also will facilitate an activity with students highlighting ways to be kind, including writing cards thanking teachers and sanitation workers in the community.

The Leaders Readers Network was founded by former WT staffer Chris McGilvery in 2012 and has been based in Canyon since 2019. The network works with teachers to pair older students with younger ones to foster leadership skills, enable child-centered coaching and encourage a love of reading.

Then, on Jan. 25, WT AmeriCorps members will assist Storybridge with its book drive, providing books to children in low-income neighborhoods, where, according to Storybridge’s website, research has shown that two out of three low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children.

The book drive is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 25 at United Supermarkets, 5807 S.W. 45th Ave. in Amarillo.

Storybridge was founded by Chandra Perkins in 2016. The organization collects new and gently used books donated by community members or will purchase books with monetary donations. After sorting the books by age group, they then distribute them to kids in need through their programs.

“Service days provide opportunities for our AmeriCorps members to engage in meaningful service, gain experience in a new educational setting, and become a part of a larger effort to ensure that children in underserved communities have equal access to books and the opportunity to get excited about their learning,” WT AmeriCorps Assistant Director Laura Seals said.

WT, the Office of Academic & Regional Collaboration, and WT AmeriCorps are committed to being an active regional partner. WT AmeriCorps collaborates with organizations across the Texas Panhandle throughout the year for service projects and to place their members at service sites to support organizations improving their community.

The program is in its fifth year and its mission is to augment existing systems, fill gaps, and help build a more supportive and resilient environment through opportunity, engagement, and investment.

“We primarily support our partners by helping them build capacity and strengthen infrastructures, but service days are a form of direct service that help organizations meet a need in a more hands-on approach,” Seals said. “We’re here to help when we can if there’s a specific project a nonprofit needs support for, even if we aren’t currently partners.”

Organizations interested in partnering with WT AmeriCorps are encouraged to apply online or learn more by visiting the program’s website. Organizations in need of volunteers for a specific service project can email the program to discuss their project at americorps@wtamu.edu.

Addressing regional challenges and emphasizing educational attainment and economic opportunity in the Panhandle are major components of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: WT AmeriCorps member Jane Bailey reads to Dalhart Elementary School students during the 2022 World Read Aloud Day.

—WT—