For some local middle-school students, reading books does not only mean increased knowledge – it also means free women’s basketball tickets and the opportunity to meet student athletes.

“Booking with the Pack,” a program coordinated by the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes is a new program at the University.  The program strives to inspire middle-school students to read, and to give those students a sense of connection to the University.

There are essentially two parts to this project. The first has been around since 2006, and specifically targets improving reading and writing skills among Triangle-area middle-school students. According to Jennifer Womack, ASPSA graduate assistant, the first part of the program challenges middle-school students to read 10 books in 10 weeks.

Additionally, the middle schools can request that athletes and ASPSA staff members come to the schools to kick off the program and get students excited about reading.

“Students sometimes tend to listen better when they are listening to someone they look up to – like a student athlete. They have seen these guys on TV, so they really enjoy it,” Womack, a graduate student in counselor education, said.  

This part of the program also seeks to connect middle-school students to the idea of college at a young age. On occasion, participating schools bring their students to the University and the student athletes get to spend time with them and give them a tour around campus.

“Often there are programs to connect high-school students to college,” Womack said, “but this program goes after the middle-school students and gets them thinking about college at a young age.”

Although there are guidelines for the program, the schools plan their own program.

“We provide the resources, and it’s up to [the schools] to decide the direction of their program,” said Womack.

The second part of the program is an effort to collect books through various organizations to donate to area schools. According to Womack, Booking with the Pack has collected 17,902 books and donated 11,613 of them so far.

“We contact area organizations to let them know that we have books to donate,” said Womack, “and based on their current needs and storage space, they can request the books on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Organizations that have received books include: Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, Boys and Girls Club of Wake County, Greystone Recreation Center, and more, according to ASPSA.

Booking with the Pack recently made one of its first large-scale donations in collaboration with the Golden Key Society. According to Womack, the group donated a large amount of books to Better World Books, an organization which distributes donated books worldwide.

Womack said ASPSA has received donations from on-campus organizations, including the Women’s Center and women’s basketball team.

Jennifer MacNab, Booking with the Pack coordinator, said she believes that the program has been extremely successful.

“The student athletes who volunteer with our program prove they are committed to giving back to the community and to using their notoriety to set a positive example for youth today,” said MacNab, also a graduate student in counselor education.

Although the program was founded on the idea of student-athletes getting involved with area schools, ASPSA has given thought to expanding the program to include non-student athletes. According to Womack, involving the rest of campus will only help to further the impact of the program.

“We really want to expand this program to the rest of campus,” Womack said.