A group of students announced on Apr. 1 that they organized a community service project to encourage reading among second graders at Smyrna Elementary. The initiative, part of their International Baccalaureate (IB) program, involved about thirty teens visiting the school to read with younger students and promote the enjoyment of books.
The effort aims to address concerns about declining reading habits in young children by making learning enjoyable and interactive. Organizers say experiences like these help foster a lifelong love of reading and strengthen connections between older and younger students.
According to organizers Jaina Patel and Isabella Diarra, the project started with just two people but grew as more teens joined. “Little kids look up to us so much and it’s vital to use that influence to teach them to indulge in knowledge and find learning fun and exciting!” they said. The event included activities designed to engage children, such as discussing book illustrations, encouraging participation, and allowing some students to read aloud themselves.
Patel recalled her own positive memories of being read to as a child: “I thoroughly remember the excitement we had when our teacher announced that we were going to have a mystery reader come in… It’s experiences like these that are so important in the process of helping the youth flourish into knowledge hungry individuals with a love of reading.” Diarra added that both volunteers and children benefited from the interaction: “If you told us at the beginning of our project that it was going to actually make a significant impact, we wouldn’t have believed it. But after actually carrying it out, we truly think that all parties learned and grew from the experience.”
The students also highlighted moments where cultural exchange occurred during their visit: one girl from a dual language immersion class helped by reading parts of a book in Spanish. Organizers emphasized how valuing student input encourages greater participation: “Letting them teach us… teaches them that their voice matters,” they said.
Reflecting on lessons learned through organizing this large-scale event, Patel noted improvements in communication skills within their group despite initial challenges coordinating among different English Language Arts classes. She concluded by saying, “Our goal is just to be good leaders and examples. Showing them that anything is possible… Something as simple as showing kindness and reading can go such a long way.”
