Nicholls students, faculty and staff wishing to give back to the community can volunteer their time and passion for reading at Thibodaux Elementary’s “Hello Colonels, Read with Me” program on Jan. 31.Volunteers are needed to read to students every half hour between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Readers are asked to join with Thibodaux Elementary students and staff members in wearing Nicholls apparel. Volunteers can bring along a favorite children’s book of their own, or one will be provided upon arrival.

“The students are not just interested in the books being read to them,” Michael Delaune, director of University Relations, said. “They are interested in who the readers are and what their roles are at the University. This is a way to help the children develop a lifelong love of reading and serve as a role model as well.”

Thibodaux Elementary asks readers to sign in at the principal’s office, where classroom assignments will be given out. Volunteers can arrange to go to a particular classroom if requested, and there is no limit to the number of classrooms one can visit.

“The students really, really love it,” Donna Bergeron, Thibodaux Elementary administrative assistant, said. “We get great feedback from the parents of how proud it makes their children feel when others come to read to them, and it’s something they remember all year.”

“Hello Colonels, Read with Me” is part of a two-week Reading is Fundamental program at Thibodaux Elementary. This is the third year Nicholls participates in this program. Delaune said last year more than 200 Nicholls community members read to classes.

“The event coordinators at the school always say this is consistently one of the more successful days. It satisfies service requirements that many students need, but also is something honorable to be a part of,” Delaune said.

Reading is Fundamental is a federally funded book distribution program that Thibodaux Elementary has been involved in for 28 years. Each child receives three free books through the program. The Thibodaux Service League puts up the 25 percent not covered by the grant the school receives to fund the program. Thibodaux Elementary goes beyond the book distribution by putting on reading pep rallies and setting up a book corner to hand out recycled books to the community among other events.