NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — I wish Westminster had programs to support families off-campus, such as providing families with additional learning materials and engaging them in educational and recreational activities. Have you ever thought about it? Yes. A little-known project operating on the Westminster campus is the Little Library.
Mr. Cole, an adjunct professor in the School of Education at the University of Westminster, taught primary school students for nearly 35 years before returning to his alma mater to support education students.
Cole and Cynthia Clark, an adjunct professor in the School of Education, have started a student-led group (comprised of elementary education majors) to provide additional materials to New Wilmington families.
“Student-led groups … provided free books for 'specific grades' along with student lesson plans, along with books to use at home,” Cole said. “In the past, West Middlesex School District, Farrell School District, and Wilmington School District have been the schools we have served with this annual project.”
But last year, the club decided to go in a different direction.
“My dream was to bring a storytime show to the cable station that would reach local children and their families,” Cole said. “Thanks to the collaboration between the School of Broadcasting and the School of Education, this dream became a reality.”
The show averages approximately 30 minutes per episode and is produced and filmed at the Westminster Cable Network's broadcast studios.
By going in a new direction, this project allows elementary students to practice the art of reading stories aloud. This allowed broadcast students to improve their production and storytelling skills by creating consistent storytime beginnings and endings. Therefore, viewers are accustomed to this routine. After reading the story, the project also introduces other corners, such as creating crafts to accompany the book and, in some cases, an interview with the author/illustrator.
Cole also talked about plans for this semester's program.
“This semester, we're featuring a story written by a local author about a cat going from the farmhouse to the White House. It's a true story,” Cole said. “We want to showcase our bee sanctuaries on campus and will also feature stories that save bees. This collaboration is exciting and a great way to reach out to the local community and promote the gift of reading.” .”
