NATCHITOCHES – Dr. Michelle Fazio Brunson, director of Graduate Programs in Early Childhood Education at Northwestern State University, is utilizing funds from a professorship to support the NSU Early Childhood Education Cradle to College service-learning project, an initiative that seeks to provide literacy activities, resources and support to children and their families so they can engage in family literacy and play activities at home. Brunson was awarded the Melba Steeg Endowed Professorship in 2023.
This year, the NSU Early Childhood program collaborated with the Call Me Mister program, coordinated by Brittany Broussard, NSU’s director of Culture and Climate. The Call Me Mister program aims to increase the number of diverse male teachers in elementary schools. Participants benefit from mentorship, leadership development and community and classroom experience. Currently, NSU has five students in the program.
The Call Me Mister and Early Childhood Education collaboration allowed the service-learning project to continue to support Fairview Alpha Elementary School, where Brooke Williams is principal. Jalen Wilson, an education major in NSU’s School of Education Elementary, assembled family bags with materials purchased with the EP funds for all preschool and kindergarten children enrolled at the school. Joined by peers Christian Holmes and Kyle Scott, the NSU students read to the children and presented them with their own literacy bags to take home. This was especially significant for Jalen, who was able to read to his sister Addison Burch’s kindergarten class. Their mother, Stephanie Burch, is a teacher at the school.
“The Cradle to College initiative is an on-going project in which NSU students and faculty collect supplies and purchase materials to make family literacy bags for preschool and kindergarten students in Natchitoches Parish,” said Brunson, who spearheads the project. “The project is intended to provide extra support to children who live below the poverty line to help close learning gaps at school.”
Brunson said donations of school supplies and books are always needed. To contribute, contact her at faziom@nsula.edu. For more information on Call Me Mister, contact Broussard at blackwellb@nsula.edu.
Kyle Scott and peers in the Call Me Mister program at NSU read to Fairview-Alpha Elementary students as service-learning project to support the Cradle to College initiative. Cradle To College provides literacy materials to children and their families.
Christian Holmes, a participates in the Call Me Mister program, read to students at Fairview-Alpha Elementary. Call Me Mister is a program that recruits Black male students to become teachers and role models.
