Our Saturday service project is announced!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Want to know what we will be doing as our service project while we are down in NOLA?
On Saturday of the trip we will go down to the dome at 7:30 a.m. to do participate in a service project entitled Literacy Matters.

What organizations will we work with in New Orleans? 

Jefferson Parish School District, ReNew Schools, East Baton Rouge schools, New Orleans Recreation Department (NORDC)
 

What will we do? 

You will join teachers in elementary schools in across New Orleans and Baton Rouge as they prepare children for school this fall. Your work will help students who are struggling to read.

• Reading Camps: You will go into a school or a recreation center to work with children on their literacy skills. Your project will include following a specific curriculum based around an age-appropriate children’s book, playing literacy games and other activities.

• Book Festivals: You will be hosting several Book Festivals in New Orleans/Baton Rouge so that children can have new books and build their own home libraries. You will set up a book fair, learn about and lead literacy games/activities, distribute books and clean up after the book fair.

• Libraries: You will help build libraries at three NORDC sites across the city. Children will have access to books because of the work you will do painting, building bookshelves, or categorizing/labeling the books.

Scripture: 

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ - Matthew 25:37-40

What can we do to prepare?

• Start noticing how much you read! You read labels, signs, forms, websites, not to mention books! Imagine if reading this was hard for you. Reading limitations are very real for many. Adults who struggle with reading can’t easily assist their children in learning to read, moving this challenge from generation to generation!

Why does this project matter? 

The average child in Louisiana is 2 ½ years behind grade level. Children often lose as much as a whole grade level when they do not read over the summer. By encouraging reading through read aloud activities, interactive literacy games and centers that build reading comprehension, we will reduce this gap. Literacy can be directly linked to future earnings as an adult and is related to a person’s capacity to escape systemic poverty, improving their quality of life. As we practice compassionate justice as a church this summer in New Orleans, we know our work will directly impact the long term economic impact of the city.

For more information, click here.

~PAL