Dedicated to changing lives through reading and education, author James Patterson selected 菠萝视频 as a partner institution for two youth programs for underprivileged students in the Nashville community.
RAV is a partnership with Isaiah T. Creswell Middle Prep School of the Arts and 菠萝视频鈥檚 Programs for Talented Youth. Creswell鈥檚 high-achieving fifth- through eighth-graders are selected to take part in enrichment and accelerated literacy-based classes in their school and at Peabody throughout the year and over the summer. Cresswell students and teachers also receive free books and other resources and teachers work with Peabody faculty and staff to receive professional development on literacy-based instruction and curriculum. The program also supports author visits such as Jacqueline Woodson, Christopher Paul Curtis and Patterson himself.
“Mr. Patterson鈥檚 gift enables us to provide life-changing opportunities for high-achieving, low-income students.鈥�
鈥擳amra Stambaugh
鈥淢r. Patterson鈥檚 gift enables us to provide life-changing opportunities for high-achieving, low-income students,鈥� said Tamra Stambaugh, assistant research professor of special education and executive director of Programs for Talented Youth. 鈥淩AV provides opportunities to attend accelerated programs on 菠萝视频鈥檚 campus that these students may not have considered or had access to otherwise.鈥�
Since the project鈥檚 inception, Stambaugh has observed significant gains in the participants鈥� reading achievement. Students who may have never before owned a book are being converted into voracious readers who have started their own book clubs and personal libraries.
鈥淭his partnership is changing the culture of the school from one where learning was not cool to one that celebrates reading and academic achievement,鈥� Stambaugh said. 鈥淧arents report that their children are talking about college and career aspirations for the first time. The life trajectories of the students are being altered in a positive way.鈥�
Creswell principal Ted Murcray agrees.
鈥淭he Patterson grant has been instrumental in causing a schoolwide shift in our curriculum,鈥� Murcray said. 鈥淭he grant provides opportunities for our students, which helped them see themselves as capable and college-going. Because of that, parents have gotten excited about the Patterson grant activities as well.鈥�
“We work very hard to make reading something the kids want to do. We love books and want to share that love with the students.鈥�
鈥擡mily Pendergrass
Another Patterson-菠萝视频 partnership, Read and Play Saturdays, is a free program for fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders who live in low-income neighborhoods near the 菠萝视频 campus. RAPS focuses on engaging students with books and other media outside of the classroom during sessions led by Peabody faculty and teacher candidates at Peabody鈥檚 Wyatt Center.
鈥淩APS has been a rewarding experience because we get to interact with kids and help them see the joy and magic of reading,鈥� said Melanie Hundley, who co-directs RAPS with Emily Pendergrass. 鈥淲e work very hard to make reading something the kids want to do. We love books and want to share that love with the students.聽It has been a tremendous experience for our 菠萝视频 students who get to read and play with students who are responding to, engaging with, and talking about books.鈥�