Students Collect and Distribute More Than 350 Books

Students in Hunterdon County Polytech’s Early Childhood Education Program recently collected more than 350 books to donate to area preschools and other local organizations serving children. The book drive is part of the students’ Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Chapter Service Project, which they developed to promote literacy in young children.

The three students involved: Elijah Gerth, Mayce Fleming and Kristen Weingart, all juniors, will soon submit their project for judging ahead of the upcoming FCCLA State Leadership Conference, held virtually this year April 14-16. In addition to bulk donations made to Flemington Presbyterian Church and Norwescap in Ringoes, the students assembled 40 book buddy bags to donate to local preschools, including First Friends, Foundations, the Goddard School and KinderMagic. The bags each include a beginner book, a bookmark designed by the students with tips for early literacy and a follow-up activity related to the book. Those activities further students’ learning through a range of tasks, including sequencing the story plot, identifying main characters and practicing letter sounds.

“These students spent significant time on this project and took a thoughtful approach to developing the related learning activities included in the book buddy bags,” said Natalie Guarino, Hunterdon County Polytech Early Childhood Education and Teacher Academy instructor and advisor to Polytech’s FCCLA Chapter. “They read the books themselves, pulled out concepts that they could further teach and then reviewed early literacy skills in their textbooks before developing the activities. I am proud of their commitment to engaging the children in fun and meaningful learning experiences with these buddy bags. They are already exceptional educators and well on their way to making a difference through their chosen profession.”

The students publicized the book drive largely throughout the Hunterdon County Polytech campuses and on social media. They were overwhelmed by the community’s response in support of their efforts to promote literacy.

Learn more about Polytech’s Teacher Academy and Early Childhood Education Program by visiting https://polytech.hcvsd.org/.