With the help of local power supply companies, Berkeley County School District is sparking an interest in reading – and maybe an interest in a career as a lineman – to its youngest learners.
BCSD’s Literacy Powerhouse initiative, sponsored in part by Santee Cooper, launched this school year to promote literacy in elementary classrooms – particularly in grades kindergarten through third.
The goal of the program is to get students excited about reading and/or storytelling through the use of current events and to further carry a connection that already exists in many of their homes.
The week of Oct. 14 was designated as Literacy Powerhouse Reading Week. The event consisted of Santee Cooper employees volunteering to visit five BCSD elementary schools and read “Light Up the World: When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Lineman,” a children’s book written by Sarah Reijonen, to kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Berkeley Electric Cooperative also sent volunteer readers to read the book aloud with students.
Boulder Bluff Elementary, Cane Bay Elementary, College Park Elementary, Moncks Corner Elementary and Whitesville Elementary all participated Literacy Powerhouse Reading Week. During the guest readers’ visit, students learned about careers and jobs associated with power companies – particularly that of a lineman.
Linemen are very crucial to communities – particularly in the lowcountry, which is prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes. Linemen work to help communities recover from storm damage and outages and are often dispatched to other areas in the country to assist.
Also, local power providers are among the largest employers in Berkeley County, with many BCSD students pursuing careers at Santee Cooper or Berkeley Electric.
BCSD’s Literacy Powerhouse initiative is not just about getting guest readers into classrooms; through grants and sponsorships, BCSD was able to purchase of hundreds of children’s books, primarily targeted for elementary-aged students. These books will be distributed at future BCSD and community events to families at no cost.
BCSD appreciates its ongoing community partnership with Santee Cooper, and extends a special thanks to Berkeley Electric Cooperative for participating this week.