Sept. 27, 2003 – As part of its ongoing reading campaign on St. Croix, the Education Department has launched a "Homework @ Your Library" project at Florence Williams Library.
Homework @ Your Library is the seventh in a series of reading projects initiated in the last two years. Previous efforts have included a logo and slogan campaign, a Book Parade, the St. Croix Book Festival, an Agriculture and Food Fair promotions booth, and a Reading Campaign Conference.
This year the campaign is partnering with community organizations to establish community reading outreach programs. Partnering on the homework project are the Friends of the Florence Williams Public Library and local Rotary and Lions Clubs.
The project is aimed at assisting students with their homework, with emphasis on reading. Rotary and Lions Club volunteers are serving as tutors to help students with their homework, encourage their leisure reading and improve their computer literacy skills. The clubs also are assisting with the purchase of equipment and resource materials.
Tutoring is available at the library weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m. for students in grades 1-12. The slogan of the St. Croix reading campaign is "Together We Read, Together We Succeed."
Zorida Jacobs, project coordinator, said: "The entire community suffers when reading is not emphasized."
Taking part in a ceremony at the library marking the start of the homework project were Beverly Fox of Rotary Mid-Isle, Yvonne Rivera of Hispanos Unidos and Sen. Ronald E. Russell, chair of Legislature's Education and Youth Committee.
Jacobs offered the following tips to help parents and guardians improve their children's reading skills and interests:
– Read together at least once a week.
– Read to your child and have your child read to you.
– Set a family time for silent reading.
– Spend time writing together.
– Set up a home library.
– Try fun things to build reading skills such as playing word game and telling stories.
Special reading program events that are coming up include the following:
All four Saturdays in October, 10-11 a.m. — Hispanos Unidos radio program with reading and homework tips in Spanish. (Sept. 15-Oct. 15 is observed as Hispanic Heritage Month.)
Oct. 4, 11 a.m.-noon – Applause and Sunny Isle Story Hour, Sunny Isle Courtyard. (Story hours will continue every other Saturday.)
Oct. 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. — St. Croix Book Festival, Sunny Isle Shopping Center, including a book swap, storytelling, puppets and bag puppets.
Oct. 25, 11-11:30 a.m. — Hispanos Unidos Parent Literacy Program, Hispanos Unidos Technology Center, 13 King Street, Christiansted. (The program will run for 12 weeks.)
Nov. 22 — Educational Diagnostic Center Reading Clinic, Gertrude's Restaurant.

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