Finley Hobbs, a Lakeland Christian Academy senior and KEYS member, reads to students. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.

Staff Report

WARSAW — Members of Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services visited second-graders across the county and read to students as part of the 17th anniversary of the Read Across Kosciusko County initiative.

Every year, KEYS students and adult volunteers visit all the elementary schools in Kosciusko County to read a book to students and emphasize the importance of reading. This year, 20 KEYS members and 32 adults read at 16 elementary schools, impacting 47 classrooms and nearly 1,000 second-graders.

During the March 28 event, “Can I Be Your Dog?” by Troy Cummings was read simultaneously in each school, with each classroom receiving a copy of the book. In addition, each student is given a different personal book to take home.

Cummings, who lives in Indiana, will visit with local students in early April.

In Kosciusko County there are 16 elementary schools with 47 second grade classes with 993 second graders.

Nearly $29,000 in grants were recommended to educators and nonprofit organizations in 2022.

In total, the RAKC program gave over 1,100 books to students and schools, to inculcate literacy and the love of reading, fulfilling their mission, “To work together to positively impact and improve education in our community by providing aid, now and for future generations.”

Program officer of KCCF, Terrill Hooks said, “Read across Kosciusko County is a great, hands-on way for KEYS members to practice their mission to impact education. It’s an opportunity to personally interact with and encourage reading to elementary students. It also helps KEYS members to be better grant makers as they interact with the students who are impacted by the educational grants they award.”

KEYS is the Kosciusko County Community Foundation’s youth philanthropy program. Program members are students in eighth through 12th grade from local schools including Lakeland Christian Academy, Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, Warsaw Community Schools, and Wawasee Community School Corporation. While in KEYS, students learn about philanthropy, teamwork, nonprofit governance, leadership, and service to their community.