Readers to Leaders Presents to Kiwanis Club

On Monday, July 1, members of the Readers to Leaders (R2L) Workforce Development Team spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Dalton about evolving community literacy efforts.  Merry Boggs, Director of Elementary Curriculum for Whitfield County Schools, spoke of the inception of the R2L movement in 2012, highlighting the Commitment to Literacy Press Conference and the First Annual Literacy Celebration in summer 2012.  Pam Partain, Readers to Leaders Chair and Dalton State College Director of Marketing and Communications, passionately described the public schools’ commitment to literacy and the need for community-wide support for literacy. 

R2L members before presenting to Kiwanis Club of Dalton.  From left to right, Archway Professional Melissa Lu, Director of Elementary Curriculum for Whitfield County Schools Merry Boggs, Southeast High School Principal Karey Williams, Dalton Public Schools Gifted Program Coordinator Lisa Hackney, Readers to Leaders Chair and Dalton State College Director of Marketing and Communications Pam Partain, and Readers to Leaders AmeriCorps Vista Marlen Rodriguez.

Lisa Hackney, Dalton Public Schools Gifted Program Coordinator, spoke about how much of a child’s success begins in the home and the steps R2L is taking to provide parents and children with access to educational resources.  She spoke about local trainings provided by University of Georgia faculty to help teachers build better home-school partnerships with parents, this year’s community-wide Pre-K registration emphasizing school readiness and literacy, increased participation in summer reading programs, and the Second Annual Literacy Celebration scheduled for July 18, 2013.  Marlen Rodriguez, Readers to Leaders AmeriCorps Vista, spoke about R2L’s partnership with the library and the library’s involvement in community outreach activities.  She shared that over 500 children have participated in summer reading programs to date. 

Members of Kiwanis listening to the R2L presentation.

Melissa Lu, Dalton-Whitfield Archway Professional, discussed the community’s desire to prepare young children for school success before they reach kindergarten.  As a result of the community’s commitment to this area, Archway Education Professional Katy Green was hired to pilot new initiatives and explore new collaborations to support Dalton-Whitfield’s prenatal to Pre-K population.  Karey Williams, Assistant Superintendent for Whitfield County Schools, concluded the presentation to Kiwanis by stating the important role partnerships play in improving literacy in the Dalton-Whitfield community. 

To review Dalton Daily Citizen coverage of the presentation, please click on the following link: http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x1614269505/Volunteers-spreading-benefits-of-literacy.