Twenty thousand books will be given away by Cocky's Reading Express for its 20th anniversary of reading to Title I elementary schools across South Carolina.
CRE originated in 2005 as a one-time Student Government initiative, where students spent some of their winter break reading to children in Charleston County. But the idea stuck, and CRE was founded.
Student and faculty volunteers participate in up to eight hours of service per visit. They select books to read aloud, bring out Cocky and engage kids in activities to promote literacy in disadvantaged communities. When the day is over, each child gets to go home with a free book.
CRE Coordinator Instructor Margaret Cook Jackson said they visit 12 to 20 schools a semester, with one to two trips per week. Now CRE has over 70 elementary schools on its waiting list. Jackson also said how critical literacy is for children, citing a study by a USC business student. The study showed an increase in literacy scores for students who were visited by CRE.
"We'll memorize a whole book in real time, and so you have kids who are just suddenly dancing and singing the words to a book," Jackson said. "So it's just putting literature and literacy into their bodies."
CRE also provides schools with Little Free Libraries, stocking them with a total of 400 books throughout the year. In 2020, with the help of its sponsor Dominion Energy, CRE built tower gardens for two elementary schools in Lexington County, according to WACH Fox 57.
CRE's Adopt a School program, implemented in fall 2023, matches organizations with a Title I school. For a year, the organization funds services, including storytime programs and Little Free Libraries.
"The goal of Adopt a School is to extend that impact so that they might see somebody else who is really committed to their literacy and growing their libraries," Jackson said.
CRE has given away a total of 174,900 books, according to the College of Information and Communications. Funding comes from sponsors and private parties, and volunteers help to facilitate these book donations.
Third-year human resource management student Briana Vinson is entering her third year as a CRE volunteer. As a former tutor who helped kids learn to read, Vinson said she recognized the importance of foundational literacy skills and making reading fun.
"It's so fulfilling to just watch the kids light up with excitement over the fact that they get a free book," Vinson said.
Faith Moody, a third-year public health student, said she has spent about 96 hours with CRE and has been to more schools than she can count. She said interacting with the kids is a special part of CRE.
"They're telling you good morning, they're waving at you. Before they leave, they hug you and say thank you," Moody said, "And I think that was just really sweet, and that's something that other things don't let you experience."
Fourth-year public health student Jakira Kenley has been with CRE for about a year and a half. Having previous childcare experience, she said her work with CRE has encouraged her to continue working with kids in the future. Kenley now plans to become a pediatrician.
"I wasn't thinking about pediatrics, but now I'm like, 'Okay, maybe I do want to do pediatrics,'" Kenley said. "So it definitely pushes you to do more things."
Kenley tries to make it to as many events as she can and often schedules her other activities around CRE, she said. Kenley said she looks forward to every visit.
"This is beyond just getting hours; it is really just having fun and branching out," Kenley said.
Vinson said CRE gives volunteers the opportunity to make a difference in the students' lives. She said CRE not only helps students learn how to read, but also creates memorable, fun experiences.
"We're really building core memories," Vinson said. "You get a picture with Cocky, you get a free book, people are sitting with you saying, 'Yes, I believe in you.'"
Students and faculty can get involved by volunteering or donating money to CRE. More information can be found on the CIC website.