On a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon, Edgehill’s E.S. Rose Park was buzzing for Belmont University's 22nd Annual Family Literacy Day. Held on April 13, the event brought together pre-K through 6th grade children and their families to celebrate the joy and importance of reading.
At the heart of Family Literacy Day were the Reading Circles, led by volunteers from various Belmont campus groups. "It's really sweet seeing the kids enjoying the stories and the nice weather," said Lainey Seitz, a sophomore communication studies major who helped organize the event through her Teamwork Communication class taught by instructor Joel Hester.
Hester, who has been involved with Family Literacy Day for the past three years, spoke about the significance of the event. "In college and life, we highlight individual achievement; however, many of the greatest accomplishments in human history are achieved through teamwork,” he said. “Family Literacy Day offers our students a chance to give back to the community that Belmont calls home and learn how to work together as a team. I look forward to it every spring, but the idea started several years ago with Dr. Nathan Webb, and continued by Dr. Amy Schmisseur. Tim Stewart and Keller Hawkins do a wonderful job of developing awesome partnerships with our neighbors.”
For Hester, the event is not just about promoting literacy, but also about fostering student growth and community engagement. "I have had the pleasure over the last three years of helping with this process of putting academics together with community outreach, offering students the opportunity to grow academically and build towards whole person development," he said.
Seitz and her classmates were divided into teams, each tasked with a specific aspect of the event – donations and logistics, hospitality and snacks, marketing and more. "It's basically all run by the students, which is super cool," Seitz said.
In addition to the Reading Circles, children participated in literacy games, made crafts, enjoyed snacks and had the chance to win prizes. But perhaps the most significant takeaway was that each child left with a new book, thanks to Belmont's partnership with Book'em, a local literacy nonprofit. Family Literacy Day is also made possible through additional partnerships, including Dollar General's Family Literacy Grant, Metro Parks, the Office of Service-Learning and service-learning classes and multiple Belmont student organizations.
