Mortar Board, an Honorary club at the University of Wyoming are tabling for a week in the Breezeway of the Wyoming Union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Reading is Leading Book Drive where people can drop books, which will go to the Albany County Downtown Clinic, Albany County Safe Project and Family Promise.
Mortar Board National Honor Society is the senior honorary at the UW funded in 1918 as a Women’s Honorary, but was extended to men in 1975. Every year, mortar society comes up with an idea for community service in order to give back to the society. So, this year, for community service, they came up with an idea for a book drive to enhance the reading skills of the younger generation.
“It’s part of our giving back to the community,” Mendi Maes, member of Mortar Board, said.
The goal for the Reading is Leading Book Drive is to encourage and empower younger generation for critical and comprehensive reading.
Katie Jacobs, President of Mortar Board, said, “Students who have [a] firm grasp on reading concepts or reading comprehension are better able to lead people in their selective field because one way or another we want to empower children to be better reader[s] so that they can become better readers in the future.”
The Mortar Board Society involves all the university students and professors in the project. Anyone can drop off books at the table or to the members of Mortar Board.
“It would allow us to engage the rest of the university committee in our service project and so other students who aren’t specifically in Mortar Board can donate books,” Jacobs said.
Reading with kids and enhancing the reading culture is another part of Reading is Leading.
“We also read in the children centers,” Maes said. “We spend some time reading with the kids.”
Samantha Smith, Graduate student at UW, who was dropping off some childrens’ books at the table says, “I am glad that there are service clubs who are interested in giving back to the society and promoting comprehensive reading.”
Jacobs said she hopes they will have a book drive every year from now on.
