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BP Gift Gives UofSC Cocky’s Reading Express Literacy Program its Own Set of Wheels
Newswise — Cocky has its own set of wheels, thanks to a gift from BP.
Officials from the University of South Carolina and BP joined with Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and Cocky Tuesday (Feb. 21) to unveil a new 22-passenger Allstar Ford bus for USC’s Cocky’s Reading Express literacy program.
Boasting a larger-than-life graphic of Cocky and the program’s logo, the program’s first bus rolled onto Greene Street before a crowd of cheering students, alumni and literacy leaders.
“BP is pleased to be a corporate supporter of Cocky’s Reading Express,” said Crystal Ashby, executive vice president of BP America. “We are proud to share with children the joy of reading, which supports the goal to raise literacy levels in the state.”
The announcement event also included remarks by USC President Harris Pastides, Charles Bierbauer, dean of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies; Sig Huitt, chairman of the Carolina’s Promise campaign for the college; Benjamin and Kim Jeffcoat, executive director of the South Carolina Center for Children’s Books and Literacy, an outreach of the college’s School of Library and Information Science, which helps coordinate the program.
The bus is the result of a BP gift that builds on previous support from BP for the program. Previous donations were used for purchasing children’s books, literacy materials and operational expenses. BP’s giving history to USC extends 31 years and includes support for programs in business, engineering and arts and sciences.
Until February, volunteers were dependent on state minivans for transportation, a situation that created logistical issues from space to scheduling, Jeffcoat said.
“Thanks to the generosity of BP, Cocky’s Reading Express will be able to involve more USC students and offer them better training and deliver more programs and books to children all over South Carolina,” Jeffcoat said. “The Cocky’s Reading Express bus will enhance the program’s success and enable more students, even entire sports teams or University 101 classes, to volunteer.”
And they’ll get to ride in style and comfort. The bus is outfitted with DVD players and screens, which Jeffcoat said she will use to screen training videos and conduct question and answer sessions with student en route to sites.
“We offer a spectrum of programs that range from ones for elementary schools, public libraries and special populations such as the School for the Deaf and Blind to ones that address specific topics such as financial or nutritional literacy,” Jeffcoat said. “It is very important that our volunteers are trained accordingly. The video equipment on the bus will greatly enhance our literacy training.”
The bus’s generous storage will accommodate the program’s audio/visual equipment and more books for Cocky to give to children. Wifi and electrical outlets will help students stay connected and keep up with their course work while on the road.
Christina Galardi, a senior public relations major and S.C. Honors College student from Lexington, said she fell in the love with the program after volunteering one time.
“It has been a great experience for me to travel to different schools throughout the state and see the enthusiasm of young students and to compare the school environments in which they are learning,” Galardi said. “We hear about the Corridor of Shame (rural schools along I-95), but seeing it has made me an even bigger advocate for education. Cocky’s Reading Express has been one of many factors that played in my decision to apply for Teach for America.”
Cocky’s Reading Express was launched by USC’s student government association in 2005 under the leadership of Tommy Preston, then student body treasurer, and became an immediate hit with students, teachers and parents.
“After our first trip, the requests for visits came in rapidly,” said Preston who became student body president in 2006. “At one point, I can remember having more than 100 invitations from schools, libraries and literacy events. Initially, we envisioned a week of trips across the state during winter break. The program exploded beyond that.”
Preston, now a lawyer with Nexsen Pruet in Columbia, said he is thrilled to see his idea for a student literacy project blossom into a nationally renowned program.
"I’ve been overwhelmed by the support that Cocky’s Reading Express has received from organizations and individuals around the state,” he said. “I truly believe that people are seeing the impact that our program is having on the state, and they want to do their part to foster its growth. Receiving national support from groups like the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and BP has exceeded my wildest expectations. Cocky’s Reading Express is now a national program, and universities across the country want to do what we’re doing.”
As of today, volunteers and Cocky had made nearly 240 visits to Palmetto State schools and delivered 39,412 books.
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Cocky’s Reading Express
Cocky's Reading Express is a literacy program launched by University of South Carolina student government in 2005. An immediate success, the program expanded as a joint collaboration with USC’s School of Library and Information Science.
Cocky, USC’s beloved mascot, travels the state with USC student volunteers to visit elementary schools, primarily schools in under-served public school districts. At schools, USC students read to children in grades 4K through second grade, and Cocky helps the children understand the importance of life-long reading. Each child is given a book to keep as a reminder of their visit and their promise to Cocky that he or she will read every day.
More than 386 students have led Cocky’s Reading Express programs in 33 of the state’s 46 counties with the support of grants from BP America, Bi-Lo, Verizon, CCCF, the Sunshine House and the Barbara Bush Family Literacy Foundation. To date, more than 38,000 books have been distributed at nearly 240 events.
| Year | Visits | Books Donated |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 28 | 5,000 |
| 2006 | 9 | 2,370 |
| 2007 | 5 | 690 |
| 2008 | 19 | 2,767 |
| 2009 | 37 | 2,455 |
| 2010 | 50 | 7,7355 |
| 2011 | 77 | 16,563 |
| 2012 | 13 | 1,832 ** through Feb. 20 |
| TOTALS | 237 | 39,412 |
A Look at Literacy in S.C.
U.S. Census Bureau
• 18.9 percent of S.C. residents between 18-24 years old have not graduated from high school
• 17 percent of S.C. residents over age 24 have not graduated from high school. Students who do not graduate on schedule are unlikely to finish their high school education.
• 5.8 percent of S.C. residents 25 and older have less than a 9th grade education – that’s 176,033 people.
• 10.5 percent of S.C. residents 25 and older have between a 9th and 12th grade education but no diploma – that’s an additional 318,680 people.
• 30 percent of high school dropouts 25 and older live in poverty.
Kids Count
• South Carolina is ranked 45th in the nation for child well-being.
• 7 percent of S.C. teens are not in school and have not graduated from high school.
• 10 percent of S.C. teens are not in school and are not working.
• 24.4 percent of S.C. children between birth and 18 live in poverty –that’s 258,848 children.
National Center for Education Statistics (2011)
• 81.4 percent of S.C. students attend a Title 1 or high-poverty school that receives federal funding.
** Cocky’s Reading Express only visits Title 1 schools
• 39 percent of 4th graders have below-basic reading levels. Thirty-six states have better 4th grade reading scores than South Carolina.
• 28 percent of 8th graders have below-basic reading levels. Thirty-three states have better 8th grade reading scores than South Carolina.
• 54.5 percent of S.C. students are eligible for free or reduced school meals, an indicator of low family income. 4th grade and 8th grade students eligible for the meal program had reading scores that were 29 and 21 points lower, respectively, than non-eligible students. A similar performance gap exists between black and white students in those grades.
Cocky’s Reading Express bus
The 2011 AllStar Ford Starcraft Bus is wrapped with Cocky’s Reading Express logo and graphics.
Features:
• 22 passenger seating, commercial drive
• Front entry
• ADA side and rear door lift entry
• Two interior bays to accommodate wheelchairs
• DVD screens and player to show literacy training videos
• Interior sound system with microphone
• Interior Wi-Fi and electrical outlets throughout interior to maximize students’ ability to do academic course work during travel
* Interior over-head bin storage for audio/visual equipment, literacy training materials and books for donation
Hear our Gamecocks crow!
Nearly 400 USC undergraduate students have demonstrated leadership and chosen to be volunteers with Cocky’s Reading Express. Hear what current students and alumnus and founder Tommy Preston have to say about their experiences and the impact of USC’s innovative and popular literacy program.
“What I like most about volunteering with Cocky’s Reading Express is being able to see the smiles on the kids’ faces as we hand them a book and they get to give Cocky a hug or high five.”
~ Emily Learner, sophomore from Columbia and exercise science major in the S.C. Honors College
“Cocky’s Reading Express allows college students to express our enthusiasm and school spirit in a way that benefits the community outside our campus. What a great way to take what skills we have to be role models and make a difference.”
~ Christine Galardi, senior from Lexington and public relations major in the S.C. Honors College
“The program has had a huge impact on me. I am no stranger to going to new or different environments. The most dramatic effect has to be seeing the look in the children’s eyes when they take on Cocky’s ‘reading promise.’ They are happy to see us, they are ecstatic to see Cocky and they are serious when they take their books home and promise to continue reading.”
~ Christopher Campbell, senior marketing and management major and minor in Chinese from Irmo
“Parents are the best resource, guardian and teacher that a child can have, but poor economic conditions keep parents from time in their homes. Parents with low incomes have less free time if they are working long hours or are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Cocky’s Reading Express targets Title 1 schools, which have a high population of students from low-income families. While the economy can’t be easily solved, disseminating information through communities and spreading the ideal that reading is not just fun but is vital, can make a large difference.”
~ James Armstrong, sophomore political science major from Reston, Va.
“I wanted our student outreach effort to be different than other literacy programs in the state. Cocky was the perfect solution. There is no one like him. People of all ages simply love him. It was funny that one of our first visits was to Clemson Elementary School, and the kids went crazy over Cocky. The program wouldn’t exist without him, and I can truly say that with Cocky’s help, USC has been able to inspire children to love reading in South Carolina. It is my dream that Cocky’s Reading Express be a catalyst for change in our state. Illiteracy is a major problem in South Carolina, and if Cocky and our students can help children get excited about reading and shed light on this problem and to motivate others to want to see change, I think this program would have truly made a difference.”
~ Tommy Preston, a 2008 political science graduate and 2011 law graduate from USC.Preston, founder of Cocky’s Reading Express in 2005 and a former USC student body president, is a native of Clemson.
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