Choate’s Interact Club is a philanthropic organization on campus dedicated to helping students contribute to the local community. The club has been working hard to expand its weekly Reading Buddies events.
Held every Friday night at the Wallingford Public Library, club members read books to children who attend Wallingford public schools. By sharing their enthusiasm at these events, volunteers can help children improve their reading comprehension skills, foster excitement for reading, and create a stronger bond between Choate students and the local community.
Ms. Kari Hamad, Head of Children’s Services at the Wallingford Public Library, said, “A total of 17 children participated in our most recent event. The kids really enjoyed the interactions.”
Since the kids are often read to by parents or other adults, Ms. Hamad said, “It’s nice to have someone who’s a little bit closer to their age read books with them.”
The club has developed strategies to encourage more participation from the local community. President of Choate Interact Cassatt Boatwright ’24 shared, “When we have more volunteers than children, those without reading buddies team up with cabinet members to create a skit with a moral or a game for everyone to play to present at the end.” “It really brings the energy back up and tends to draw families to come back for the engaging events we host,” she added.
In hopes of making Reading Buddies more engaging and inspiring children to embrace their creativity, the Interact cabinet plans to expand its program to include arts and crafts. Instead of reading for 40 minutes, volunteers read for the first 20 minutes before transitioning to creating art. According to Boatwright, prepackaged bags with supplies are laid out prior to the start of the event.
“Volunteers would then remain with their buddies to help them create something with the items provided.” After, kids take their creations home.”
Boatwright desires that the Choate and Wallingford communities grow closer. “We really want to do our part in giving back to the local community” and decrease students feelings of separation from the town. She concluded, “We hope this bond continues to grow and are able to make more of an impact through more events and fundraisers in the future.”
