Campus News

Westminster Students Work to Improve Educational Opportunities for Small Village in India

The “Wai and Westminster?” project hopes to raise money for books, libraries and literacy programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2010


SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster recently launched a global literacy project entitled “Why Wai and Westminster?” that is designed to help bring books and other resources into the hands of children, especially girls, in the small village of Wai, India.

Westminster students will host an awareness event on March 16, 2010, at 4 p.m. in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business Auditorium to inform the campus community and others about the project and fundraise for books and resources.

In May, a handful of Westminster students, faculty and staff will travel to Wai to work directly with local students and to help equip teachers with effective teaching and learning models. In the process, Westminster’s volunteers will gain cross-cultural and global consciousness.

“We believe this project will accomplish two important goals: it will fulfill the desire of the Wai community to have their children become proficient in English, the global language of commerce, while encouraging them to read about the wider world,” explained Westminster President Michael Bassis. “Second, the project will offer unique opportunities for Westminster students to gain a greater understanding of how they can make a difference in the world.”

As part of the program, the Jadhav Library in Wai will provide a physical space for the books collected by Westminster students. The library’s staff and supporters will provide the actual services to the Wai children, serving as a “bookmobile” service that will travel to the 21 Wai-area schools.

The distribution and circulation of books and other resources among all of the schools will be phased in over a three-year period. The project will include in-person and virtual training and professional development for teachers and volunteers in a variety of topics, including learning theories and methodologies, as well as support for those with mental and emotional disabilities.

Collaborators of the project include: Dr. Ashok Joshi, a prominent Salt Lake businessman whose roots are in Wai; the Jadhav Library staff and friends, located in Wai; Westminster College students, faculty, and staff; and Room to Read, an organization that provides early educational access and opportunity to children in developing countries.

For more information on the Wai Westminster project, visit www.westminstercollege.edu/wai.

About Westminster:
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information visit http://www.westminstercollege.edu or follow @WestminsterSLC or @WestminsterPR on Twitter.