SAAC Hosts Local Book Drive
2/9/2022 2:31:00 PM | Maryland Made
From February 7-25, the Maryland Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), will be participating in a local book drive to help young children with their English language skills while also maintaining their first language and culture.
The book drive will take place at local Cool Springs Elementary in Prince George's County, with the book chosen for donation having been written by former DMV-area football star Vad Lee called "That's My Friend."
"It is an honor to team up with Maryland athletics to equip our local youth and possible future Terps with resources that signify the importance of cultural differences, racial unity, and representation in schools," Lee said.
The book promotes diversity, inclusion, and literacy, and Sydnee Strong, the Community Engagement Intern at the University of Maryland athletic department, believes that this is a chance for underserved students to become more comfortable with who they are while also developing skills that will help them going forward.
"The goal of the book drive is to ensure that every Pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade student at Cool Springs, Elementary School receives a book," Strong said. "One of the biggest goals is to show these kids just how much representation matters."
Cool Springs Elementary has about 90 percent of its students that come from immigrant households where Spanish is their first language. In the 2017-18 school year, a Dual Language Immersion program was implemented using the Maintenance Bilingual Model at the kindergarten level and the next two years, 2018-2019 the program grew to 1st grade.
This is a program that helps students be more competent in English while still maintaining their first language and culture. The Dual Language program will help foster cultural diversity, so purchasing a book for these students will give them an opportunity to learn about diverse cultures while learning more through their second language.
SAAC is committed to forging these kinds of relationships in the neighboring communities and shows a level of commitment from the university, the athletic department, and the student-athlete population to doing good in the community.
"It shows that the university cares about the community. This is an opportunity for not only the community, staff, and student-athletes, but for the elementary school students," Strong said. "To be able to donate the books to these first kindergarten and Pre-K classes makes such a difference. We all live in a cultured world and events like this are leaving an impact on our community."
The event runs during Black History Month as Maryland celebrates different cultures.
The goal of the book drive is to ensure that there are enough books for each student, at a minimum, for pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade. Books will be delivered in enough time for Read Across America Day on March 2, 2022.
Going one step further than just donating the books, student-athletes from SAAC will be going to Cool Springs Elementary and reading the books to the children, making the connection that much deeper and much more special.
"I am really proud of the student-athletes," Strong said. "They've always wanted a way to partner with giving back to the community that is at their games and this is a way that helps them give back. These kids are right down the street from the university and we're making that connection."
Books can be purchased through umterps.com/bookdrive.
The book drive will take place at local Cool Springs Elementary in Prince George's County, with the book chosen for donation having been written by former DMV-area football star Vad Lee called "That's My Friend."
"It is an honor to team up with Maryland athletics to equip our local youth and possible future Terps with resources that signify the importance of cultural differences, racial unity, and representation in schools," Lee said.
The book promotes diversity, inclusion, and literacy, and Sydnee Strong, the Community Engagement Intern at the University of Maryland athletic department, believes that this is a chance for underserved students to become more comfortable with who they are while also developing skills that will help them going forward.
"The goal of the book drive is to ensure that every Pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade student at Cool Springs, Elementary School receives a book," Strong said. "One of the biggest goals is to show these kids just how much representation matters."
Cool Springs Elementary has about 90 percent of its students that come from immigrant households where Spanish is their first language. In the 2017-18 school year, a Dual Language Immersion program was implemented using the Maintenance Bilingual Model at the kindergarten level and the next two years, 2018-2019 the program grew to 1st grade.
This is a program that helps students be more competent in English while still maintaining their first language and culture. The Dual Language program will help foster cultural diversity, so purchasing a book for these students will give them an opportunity to learn about diverse cultures while learning more through their second language.
SAAC is committed to forging these kinds of relationships in the neighboring communities and shows a level of commitment from the university, the athletic department, and the student-athlete population to doing good in the community.
"It shows that the university cares about the community. This is an opportunity for not only the community, staff, and student-athletes, but for the elementary school students," Strong said. "To be able to donate the books to these first kindergarten and Pre-K classes makes such a difference. We all live in a cultured world and events like this are leaving an impact on our community."
The event runs during Black History Month as Maryland celebrates different cultures.
The goal of the book drive is to ensure that there are enough books for each student, at a minimum, for pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade. Books will be delivered in enough time for Read Across America Day on March 2, 2022.
Going one step further than just donating the books, student-athletes from SAAC will be going to Cool Springs Elementary and reading the books to the children, making the connection that much deeper and much more special.
"I am really proud of the student-athletes," Strong said. "They've always wanted a way to partner with giving back to the community that is at their games and this is a way that helps them give back. These kids are right down the street from the university and we're making that connection."
Books can be purchased through umterps.com/bookdrive.
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