Hartman Center Hosts Fall Open House

Released: 10/18/07

[Other School of Education News]

The Hartman Center hosted its Fall 2007 Family Literacy Project Open House on October 10th and 11th. This event brings together children, tutors, and parents to celebrate the purpose of the Center and the gift of reading. During the open house, children participating in the project are given the opportunity to introduce their parents to their reading tutors and show off the brightly decorated tutoring rooms where they work diligently to improve their reading and writing skills. In return, parents have a chance to ask questions about the project and see first-hand how their children benefit from the one-on-one tutoring with Marquette University students.

In addition to pizza and prizes, this year’s event featured a visit from Marquette basketball stars Dwight Burke, Scott Christopherson, Dan Fitzgerald, and Wes Matthews. The players took the time to read aloud to the children, answer questions, and sign autographs. “Besides being basketball heroes to the kids, the players are also fine role models for taking academics seriously,” remarked Bill Henk, School of Education Dean.

LaShawna Williams, a 4th grader from Urban Day 12, holds the book open as Dwight Burke and Scott Christopherson read.

A teaching, research and service site, the Center houses the Family Literacy Project, designed to improve the quality of literacy instruction provided by teachers, and the literacy acquisition of urban children. Undergraduate teachers-in-training serve as tutors for the program, learning that care for others means a deep understanding of cultures other than their own and ways to use differences to enhance learning for all.

For more information about the Hartman Literacy and Learning Center, please contact the Center Director, Dr. Kathleen Clark (kathleen.clark@marquette.edu ) or Mrs. Coreen Bukowski (Email: coreen.bukowski@marquette.edu Phone: 414-288-7235).