During the week of January 9-13, 2012, Polk County Public Schools, Polk County Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Polk County AmeriCorps Reads joined in collaboration for the MLK Day of National Service. Volunteers, coordinated by Polk County RSVP, read the book “Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Robin Hill School” by Margaret McNamara to Kindergarten students in six Title 1 Elementary Schools in Polk County.
Polk County AmeriCorps Reads members prepared a craft project and sorted supplies for distribution to individual classrooms. The members, utilizing the story in the book, encouraged the students to “Dream Big” and provided each child with a cutout of a child and thought bubble. Members then helped children write their dreams in the bubble and attached the bubble to the child’s cutout which the children colored any way they wished.
Polk County Schools provided a healthy snack for each child in addition to facilitating the schools’ involvement and scheduling the event.
Volunteer Polk provided each child with a copy of the book “Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Robin Hill School” by Margaret McNamara.
Polk County Commissioner Edwin Smith, a former Polk County school teacher and administrator, joined 17 volunteers on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Project - “Dream Big”.
“It was a delight to read to kindergarten students at Eagle Lake Elementary School,” said Smith.