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Verizon Literacy Endowment Helps Summer Readers at USF's Kiran C. Patel Charter School
TAMPA, FL (May 27, 2005) – The University of South Florida College of Education, the USF Dr. Kiran C. Patel Charter School, and Verizon are collaborating to offer six-weeks of free reading and writing lessons to pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students. The Verizon Literacy Endowment is helping support the program known as the Summer Arts-Based Reading Camp. Dr. Janet Richards, USF College of Education Professor in the Department of Childhood Education, developed the collaborative model guiding the project.
The 60 education majors, ranging from undergraduates to doctoral students, meet every Monday evening from 5-9 P.M. The campers work with their tutors from 6-8 P.M. Over 120 students have been registered for the innovative program, which is partially funded by the Verizon Foundation.
Benefits of the program include learning opportunities for the children, parents, and the educators. Children are given the ability to enhance their literacy abilities and parents are encouraged to become involved. The instructors have considerable collaborative interactions among the various groups of education students and there are opportunities for undergraduates to engage in research with post-graduate students.
Children at USF’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel Charter School are from very diverse backgrounds. The school provides for a large number of low-income and children at risk for school failure from neighborhoods surrounding USF and throughout Tampa Bay.
Collaboration with the USF College of Education allows young students to benefit from the opportunity of small group sessions and one-on-one instruction with USF professors and Education students. In addition, pupils prosper from the smaller class sizes and paraprofessionals (or teacher assistants) at each grade level. The opportunities provided by Verizon, the USF Dr. Kiran C. Patel Charter School, and the College of Education students and faculty are making a difference in these young lives.
Verizon continues to impact education in our area. Innovation and education make a difference in our schools and our community. The USF College of Education looks forward to continuing their partnerships with Verizon through the Verizon Literacy Endowment and other opportunities.
For more information contact the College of Education's Communications Director.
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