Kids read to NMU athletes to kick off literacy conference

Students participating in this years Young Authors’ Conference at Northern Michigan University had a chance to read to another group of special students–student athletes.

Elementary aged kids read books they wrote to a dozen NMU athletes.

Some NMU teams get a chance to read to kids during the school year, so it was a fun experience for athletes to have roles reversed and have a chance to make an impact on a younger generation.

“To hear them make their own books and talk about them and just the different things that they have and different personalities and what you hear from them is really exciting,” NMU hockey player Ryan Kesti said.

“A few of them talked about their favorite sports and everyone chuckled or some really liked the basketball guys so they wanted to run over to them, and to see that is really awesome.”

“I think it’s cool for them to meet athletes and see we love reading just as much, and enjoying seem them read I think makes them want to read and write more and draw more, and I think that’s really good for them,” NMU volleyball player Alex Berger said.

“Being able to interact with them on a level that’s not our level I think is really cool because it brings their world into ours and I think it’s cool for us and cool for them because it makes us more relateable.”

The event helped kick off the conference.  The Young Authors’ Conference brings in 3,000 kids from Marquette and Alger Counties for a four-day conference to help build literacy among kids.  More information on the Young Authors’ conference can be found here.