The Boys & Girls Clubs of America has a mission to “enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
This creed is shared by the NSCS chapter at the University of Kansas. Dana Diec, the NCSC Vice President of Planning to Achieve Collegiate Excellence at the University of Kansas, chose to devote her chapter’s energies to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America during NSCS’ Integrity Week (Feb 6-11). “We felt integrity should be introduced at a younger age to help develop students to become adults with a sense of right and wrong,” says Diec, senior accounting major.
During NSCS’s Integrity Week, the University of Kansas chapter went to the local Boys and Girls Club to read books that showcased integrity. Books were chosen by chapter members as well as the children. Each member spent two days reading and mentoring the children; listening to them and teaching them about integrity. Ten members in total participated in this year’s Integrity event.
“Every little bit helps, no matter the activity,” said Diec. “I feel like we helped the kids learn while allowing the regular workers of Boys and Girls Club a little rest from their daily activities.”
The officers commented on how the kids responded to the care and involvement of the NSCS participants.
“[The children] appreciated having an input in the books we read, like it was so cool that older kids cared what they thought and actually wanted their opinions,” said Amy Watchous, VP of Community Service. “The kids were very involved in the stories and we kind of showed them that reading and learning is cool and can be lots of fun.
This excitement from the children was one of the best parts of the event for many volunteers, as well as the children’s appreciation for being able to have an input in the books that were read.
The children that participated in The University of Kansas’ Integrity event may forget the exact books that were read during those two days, but they will never forget the college students who cared enough to pay them a visit and talk to them about a most important value: integrity.
Visit University of Kansas’s Facebook page to learn more about their upcoming events.