Bookcase for Every Child project promotes literacy
Construction technology juniors strike a pose with the bookcase wall: front row, Mason Fraley, left, Loudonville; Nathen Croskey, Loudonville; John Tracy, Mapleton; instructor John Staats; Payton Fowler, Ashland; Trevor Markel, Ashland; Donovan Fyffe, Loudonville; and Reece Searl, Ashland; back row, Kaileb Lemon, West Holmes; Cole Zody, Loudonville; Jacob Frost, Hillsdale; Haden Heller, Hillsdale; Louie Lambert, Hillsdale; and Isaac Kanzig, Hillsdale.
This is the eighth year for the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center construction technology program to participate in the Ashland County Bookcase for Every Child project, and their assembly-line construction precision has made production a snap. The bookcases have been finished in record time and are waiting for nameplates, which are being made by students in the career center’s robotics and advanced manufacturing program.
The bookcases will be filled with age-appropriate reading material and then presented to deserving children age 3-5 as identified by the Kno-Ho-Co Ashland Head Start. The project seeks to promote reading, which has been shown to have a life-long effect helping children become more successful students, more informed and independent adults, and more productive employees.
Through the years and including this year’s project, the construction technology program has made and donated over 400 bookcases. To the credit of instructor John Staats and his students, they have taken the lead in continuing this worthy community-service venture, and this year they have involved other career center programs.
For the presentation program scheduled for April 28, the graphic communications program will develop and print the invitations, students in the early childhood education program will read to the child-invitees and culinary careers students will put together refreshments to follow the program.
The community is invited to attend the presentation.