KEYS Members Read Across Kosciusko County
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Finley Hobbs, a Lakeland Christian Academy senior and KEYS member, reads to students. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.
Staff Report
WARSAW — Members of Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services visited second-graders across the county and read to students as part of the 17th anniversary of the Read Across Kosciusko County initiative.
Every year, KEYS students and adult volunteers visit all the elementary schools in Kosciusko County to read a book to students and emphasize the importance of reading. This year, 20 KEYS members and 32 adults read at 16 elementary schools, impacting 47 classrooms and nearly 1,000 second-graders.
During the March 28 event, “Can I Be Your Dog?” by Troy Cummings was read simultaneously in each school, with each classroom receiving a copy of the book. In addition, each student is given a different personal book to take home.
Cummings, who lives in Indiana, will visit with local students in early April.
In Kosciusko County there are 16 elementary schools with 47 second grade classes with 993 second graders.
Nearly $29,000 in grants were recommended to educators and nonprofit organizations in 2022.
In total, the RAKC program gave over 1,100 books to students and schools, to inculcate literacy and the love of reading, fulfilling their mission, “To work together to positively impact and improve education in our community by providing aid, now and for future generations.”
Program officer of KCCF, Terrill Hooks said, “Read across Kosciusko County is a great, hands-on way for KEYS members to practice their mission to impact education. It’s an opportunity to personally interact with and encourage reading to elementary students. It also helps KEYS members to be better grant makers as they interact with the students who are impacted by the educational grants they award.”
KEYS is the Kosciusko County Community Foundation’s youth philanthropy program. Program members are students in eighth through 12th grade from local schools including Lakeland Christian Academy, Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, Warsaw Community Schools, and Wawasee Community School Corporation. While in KEYS, students learn about philanthropy, teamwork, nonprofit governance, leadership, and service to their community.
- Students ask questions about the book “Can I Be Your Dog?” during a Q&A session at Lakeland Christian Academy. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.
- Lakeland Christian Academy student Braden Weirick is shown reading the book, “Can I Be Your Dog?” at Pierceton Elementary School. Weirick also read the book “Green Eggs And Ham,” which he said was one of his favorite books when he was in second grade. InkFreeNews photo by Caleigh Byrer.
- Pierceton Elementary School second graders are shown listening intently to the reading of “Can I Be Your Dog?” during the KEYS reading session. InkFreeNews photo by Caleigh Byrer.
- Titus Taylor, a junior at Wawasee High School and a member of the Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services, the Kosciusko County Community Foundation’s youth philanthropy program, reads “Can I Be Your Dog,” by Troy Cummings to the second graders at Syracuse Elementary School as part of Read Across Kosciusko County. Photo by Lauren Zeugner.
- WHS sophomore and KEYS member Evelyn Duncan, left, reads, “Can I be your Dog,” by Troy Cummings, to second-graders at North Webster Elementary School. DeeAnna Muraski, a volunteer with the Kosciusko County Community Foundation and their Read Across Kosciusko County program, is shown on the right. Photo by Ian Brown.