UW-Stevens Point students to promote literacy, Hmong culture
Education students at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point are helping promote literacy and Hmong culture in Stevens Point schools, thanks to a grant from the Community Learning Through America’s Schools (CLASS) program.
Members of the UW-Stevens Point Student Wisconsin Education Association (StWEA) recently earned the $1,000 CLASS grant, which will be used to purchase Hmong books for local elementary school classrooms, said Casey Bahr, StWEA president.
The CLASS grants are earned by students to perform community service projects they design and organize. The increasing enrollment of students with diverse backgrounds in the Stevens Point Area School District provided the inspiration for the idea to promote awareness of Hmong culture.
In addition to purchasing books, StWEA is teaming up with the UW-Stevens Point Hmong and Southeast Asian American Club to host a read aloud in the elementary schools later in the spring. Screencasts will be created and posted to You Tube (www.youtube.com/uwspcps) to reach out to more students and community members.
UW-Stevens Point students have received CLASS Grants for 22 out of the past 24 years. Previous projects have included the Latchkey Program at Jefferson Elementary School, collecting backpacks for area schools and the donation of Hmong language books for local elementary schools that were written by local families and Madison Elementary School staff.
CLASS Grants are given by the National Education Association Student Programs, a nationally recognized organization for education professionals. For more information, contact Lisa Blume, StWEA involvement coordinator, at lblum310@uwsp.edu.
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