CSO Receives King Day for Kids Grant

October 10, 2008

Contact:   Stacey Riemer

The Davidson College Community Service Office was selected to receive a North Carolina Campus Compact (NCCC) Enhancement grant to support its annual King Day for Kids event on January 19^th, 2009.  Grants were made available to colleges and universities by NCCC to “engage students in project planning, connect them with local communities, and expand the MLK Day of Service by enhancing the students’ sense of responsibility, citizenship, leadership, and awareness, while reinvigorating higher education’s concern for improving the quality of life."

Each year as part of Davidson College’s MLK Day Celebration, the Community Service Office hosts King Day for Kids.  King Day for Kids is a day of service that combines three areas of focus: literacy, social justice, and community involvement.  Students, faculty, staff, community members and area youth come together to celebrate the values of Dr. King. During the program, area youth (kindergarten through 5^th grades) will take part in a “read –in” (i.e., small group readings), storytelling, and bookmaking.  A First Book Speed Read ™ “kicks-off” the morning, featuring local celebrities reading as many words as they can from a selected children’s book in 15 seconds.  Children receive literacy-based goody bags that include books at the end of the day. 

 Nationally, the MLK Day of Service is a way of reminding all Americans of their civic duty to serve, as well as helping members of the community to work together to solve common problems. 

 For more information about how to become involved with this year’s King Day for Kids, contact Ashley Butler, Director of Freedom Schools.

Posted By: Stacey Schmeidel