Central Penn Student Participates in '100 Men Reading' Event

SUMMERDALE, PA (04/12/2012)(readMedia)-- Central Penn College corporate communications student Carl Roberts of Philadelphia, Pa. joined members of the 100 Men Reading event, as they shared their favorite books with inner city youth from the Harrisburg School District and Steelton-Highspire Elementary School on March 2. Author Floyd Stokes orchestrated the event on behalf of the American Literacy Corporation (ALC). The honorary chair of the event was Ron Claiborne of ABC News. Men from many different walks of life were in attendance, ready to positively influence Harrisburg's youth.

"I left the classroom feeling so accomplished," says Roberts. "The way those kids responded to me and the stories I told them about my personal accomplishments made me feel successful. They make me proud to be a college student and they give me another reason to stay on top.""I was humbled by the large turnout and the amount of men who showed up, answering the call to get involved," says Stokes. "Ron Claiborne was so impressed with how intuitive the youth in the district were."

Members of the Central Penn Knights basketball team, Carl Roberts and Nick Branam, accompanied by their coach Dave Baker and the College's student reporter Greg Jones, traveled to the Sylvan Learning center in Harrisburg, Pa., to read to pre-K to fourth-grade students. Not only did they read to the students, but they also bonded with them, sharing life stories, experiences with college and athletic life, and encouraging the students to stay on the right path.

Within the next year, the 100 Men Reading event should encompass high school students. The participating students from Central Penn have expressed their interest and excitement for the growth of the program. The ALC is a non-profit organization that promotes reading to elementary school students. Since 2001, the ALC has promoted reading to more than 110,000 children in all 50 states.