Read to Succeed with Leah Urdahl

Our meeting on December 1st was an update on the "Read to Succeed" program. Started in 2006 at Minnetonka High School, it is a program that gives a new children's book to each of the youngsters who are housed at the Minneapolis Crisis Nursery. The group raises funds by holding car washes, bagging groceries at Cub and getting donations from friends of their project. Children are taken to the Crisis Nursery when they are in danger of physical harm from a parental situation, school incident, or are perceived to be in danger. For many of the children, the book they receive is the first one they have every owned. Earlier presentations have stressed the value of a parent or other adult reading to a child. This year, the program at MHS is headed by Leah Urdahl. Leah is a senior, and is a member of the school's track team, where she runs cross-country. When asked about the future of the program, she said that there are several sophomores and juniors active in the program, and the future looks bright. She mentioned that so far the program has had no male students involved. As a student in the International Baccalaureate Program at the school, she is receiving a world balanced education with the a prescribed curriculum for her junior and senior year, with elements of creativity, action, and service added to the learning requirements. When this program was started, our club provided funding for it. With our three year limit on funding projects, the club probably will not provide funds this year, but individual members can (and are encouraged) to donate. (Story by Tad Shaw)