The Big Read: ENGLISH 1102 and Earthsea
Authors: Nichelle Moorer and Violet Grizzard
Faculty Supervisor: Rebecca Sharpe, M.Ed.
Abstract:
For the past seven years, Rebecca Sharpe's English Composition II classes have engaged in the community-wide effort to promote the Big Read. Working in conjunction with the Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Council, the English classes have supported the Council to encourage the city of Brunswick and the surrounding counties to participate in reading the same book. This year the selected book was A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin. The students in English 1102 promoted this initiative by working with the local Boys & Girls Club, producing and distributing flyers on campus to announce events and speakers, providing book discussions on campus, working with the local library to assist with storytime and the Beanstack Program, as well as assisting with the kick-off celebration known as First Friday. The students' involvement with this program enables them to engage with the community and build leadership skills and demonstrate their ability to analyze and reflect on their own and others' beliefs and assumptions about the area of service.
