Rock and Read Presentation

UWA students delivered hundreds of bags of books to the HealthStart Program for the Rock and Read project. Front row from left: Christina Carr of HealthStart, Cassidy Norris, Kimberly Caitlin of HealthStart, and Lindsey Wilbanks; Center row, from left: Dr. Janie Gregg, sponsor, SIFE, Marcia Pugh, GROWestAL Division Director, Mary Pagliero, President, Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi, and Galina Chira. Back row from left: Casey Taylor, Richard Blaski, Joseph Permenter, Ebony Jennings, and Amanda Morgan.

Once Upon A Time

 New mother Shannon Greene, knows the importance of reading to children as often as possible. That’s why she was so pleased to receive books from the Rock and Read program so she could instill a love of reading in her newborn son, Onyx Bracy.

 GROWestAL Division and the University of West Alabama Team Up to Fight Illiteracy

  Numerous studies underscore the fact that educational achievement is the most fundamental, clearly established pathway to increased earnings and a higher quality of life for all citizens. At the same time, however, the level of illiteracy in Alabama continues to be a significant and tragic issue.

 In an effort to combat illiteracy which is directly tied to quality of life and health, the HealthStart Program and the University of West Alabama are working to place three baby board books and fliers containing information about literacy in the hands of all new parents in the Black Belt Region through the HealthStart Maternity Care Program.  

The care coordinators of this program work with young, inexperienced mothers to increase their knowledge about baby care and other vital information.

 The money for this program is provided through a $2,450 literacy grant received from the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. The UWA chapter of Phi Kappa Phi partnered last semester with UWA’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) to purchase and prepare the books for delivery to the HealthStart Maternity Care Program which serves rural areas where there are households that have few or no books. The students placed a copy of the literacy information in a tote bag, along with three baby board books in hundreds of bags for the new moms.