Adrian College Helps Neinas Elementary Students
Mortar Board Honor Society partners up with fifth graders.
posted 1/24/08

ADRIAN, Mich. – In honor of January being National Mentoring Month, Adrian College’s Mortar Board Honor Society is helping fifth grade students at Neinas Elementary in Detroit. The honor society has collected over 200 books and will be delivering them to the students on Jan. 30.

Neinas Elementary, which is located in inner-city Detroit, is very representative of Latino and African American students. The school has no library and after finding this out, the honor society, which focuses its help on literacy, took a special interest with the school. Many of the fifth grade students are monolingual in Spanish. As such, several of the books being donated are bilingual to assist those students in learning English.

Adrian College had received a proposal from Neinas Elementary asking the College to begin a relationship with the students. Idali Feliciano, Adrian College director of multicultural programs, says this is a very exciting project for all parties involved.

“This is a great opportunity for the children and the College students to work together,” says Feliciano. “It is so critical for us to help children. I am very proud of the Mortar Board for taking on the project.”

In addition to the donation of the books, the students plan to sustain a relationship with the fifth graders. On March 19, 66 fifth graders will visit the College’s campus to meet their new friends in the honor society. During their visit, the students will tour the College, sit through a mini-class session, eat lunch, and experience a real college atmosphere.

“The children will be able to see what college is like,” says Feliciano. “We want the experience to give these young students hope so they can see that they too can go to college some day.”

An “email pals” project is also in the works between the youngsters and the College students. This will keep the fifth graders in touch with the College students as well as help them practice their reading and writing skills.

More information about the project can be obtained by contacting Idali Feliciano in the multicultural programs office at 517-264-3728 or via e-mail at ifeliciano@adrian.edu.