TAMIU Receives Literacy Grant from Target Stores

Texas A&M International University's Hinojosa Reading Research Center has received a $2,000 grant from Target Stores that will help support the Summer Literacy Camp program next summer.

Dr. Barbara Greybeck, associate professor and reading research center director, said the grant is targeted to increase literacy in the community.

"This grant is important because it will help pay for the program's costs while promoting collaboration between the University and different institutions in the community," explained Dr. Greybeck.

Laysha Ward, vice president of Target Stores community relations, said Target Stores, along with parent company Target Corporation, has a strong tradition of giving back to the community where it does business. She said that commitment is reflected in Target Store's grant-making program, which supports projects that promote education and the arts.

"At Target we feel it is not only our responsibility to give back to the community, we feel it is our privilege," said Ward, "TAMIU is doing incredible things to help strengthen our communities."

Greybeck explained the main purpose of the summer program is to get the community involved in understanding the importance of literacy.

"We want children to be in a relaxed atmosphere in the summer where they can work on their skills without the pressures of test performance. The program offers fun reading and writing activities. The main goal is to motivate children about literacy and particularly about writing, as it needs more emphasis in our schools," said Greybeck.

Twenty students attend each three-week camp, and students in grades two through five are accepted. The students are taught by certified teachers who concentrate on both reading and writing according to Greybeck.

The summer program also increases opportunities for student-teachers by providing them with a classroom setting that gives them a richer understanding of educational practices.

Greybeck encouraged other institutions to sponsor similar programs that serve the community.

For more information, please contact Dr. Greybeck at 326.2678, visit offices in the Dr. Billy F. Cowart Hall, room 122 or e-mail bgreybeck@tamiu.edu. University hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.