UNM is doing its part to motivate local elementary and middle school students to improve their literacy skills.
The Read with the Lobos Program, spearheaded by UNM's Marketing Department and sponsored by Nextel, helps motivate young students to improve their reading abilities by rewarding their success with tickets to University athletic events, said Liz Tamol, an administrative assistant with the marketing department and organizer of the program.
In its 13th year, the program includes 42 schools in the Albuquerque area and, more than 23,000 students participate in the two six-week sessions a year.
UNM varsity sports players attend the schools and read books with the children and stress to them the importance of knowing how to read in order to succeed in life, Tamol said.
"The kids look up to the athletes, and they listen to them," she said in a University news release. "The athletes enjoy it, too, because it allows them to give back to the community."
The program is set to begin its second session this year March 29.
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All told, the students read more than 2,000 books as part of last year's program, Tamol said.
"The kids like getting the tickets and seeing the Lobos play," said Marsha Mowery, the librarian at Jefferson Middle School.
She said the 59 Jefferson Middle School students who participated in the program last year read 558 books.
"Teachers also use the program as a motivational tool," Mowery said.
Area students also look forward to special assemblies featuring Lobo athletes and coaches.
"Students are very interested when they come over, and they put a lot of effort into not letting the athletes down by reading as many books as they can," Mowery said.
Tamol said the athletes also talk to the students about their experiences in their own individual sports and how their ability to read has contributed to their personal fulfillment.
She said with the continued financial support of Nextel, the program is able to offer better prizes every year.
For every 10 books students read this year, they will be given two free tickets to a Lobo baseball or softball game. Students get to choose the game they wish to attend and the respective sport they would like to see, Tamol said. The program's organizers then try to coordinate meetings with the students and athletes from that sport, she said.
She also said the top 10 readers in the city, five from the elementary schools and five from the middle schools, will be invited with three guests each to the Lobo Baseball Dugout Cookout on May 22. The students will be recognized at the event and given prizes and medallions for their accomplishments. The "top teacher," or the teacher who has the most success with the program, will also be invited to attend the cookout.
Looking for even more incentive to offer the aspiring readers, UNM's Marketing Department has a special treat for the program's top reader this year.
The student who reads the most books during the upcoming six-week session will be honored at the May 22 Albuquerque Isotopes baseball game and throw the game's first pitch.
"We recognize that the children are the future and anything we can do to help them learn is an honor," Tamol said in a news release. "This program is a way for the University to work hands-on with the community and reciprocate all the support they give our athletic programs."
