Aug. 2, 2004
(Dallas) - A snip, a cut, a trim and…a book?
That's
what area educators and barbershop owners believe will be a winning
combination for their regular customers in grades 3 through 12, starting
this August in the Dallas area. What better way to get young boys
hooked on books than to give them something worthwhile to read as they
wait for their turn in the barber's chair?
The Dallas County
Community College District's African American Read-In committee has been
working behind the scenes this summer to establish a local version of
Boys Booked on Barbershops, a literacy program which is based on a
national model that was started in Tampa, Fla., by Cassandra Davis.
Davis and Dr. Sabrina Brinson of Memphis, Tenn., co-founded the national
literacy program, which partners barbershops with local educators who
encourage boys to read.
Boys Booked on Barbershops - or B-BOB,
as it's known among participants - will kick off in Dallas on Thurs.,
Aug. 12, at Graham's Barber College Inc., located at 3016 Grand Ave. The
program will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. A number of parents
and their sons - as well as DCCCD representatives, including Dr. Jesus
"Jess" Carreon, the district's chancellor, and Dr. Richard McCrary,
DCCCD interim vice chancellor for educational affairs - will attend.
"Boys
Booked on Barbershops is a national literacy program designed to
advance the literacy of young children by making the most of reading
opportunities that occur naturally, in the context of their cultures and
in their communities at familiar neighborhood sites: barbershops," said
Carla Ranger, DCCCD director of educational partnerships and founder of
the district's citywide African American Read-In. "We are so excited to
build partnerships with area barbers who believe, as we do, that
literacy is key to the development of children. A barbershop is the
perfect place to put what B-BOB calls 'reading nooks' so that boys can
spend quality time reading books that challenge their minds and their
imaginations."
Approximately 15 barbershops are ready to receive
books and open reading nooks in their establishments. Graham's Barber
College, which is helping DCCCD launch the program, also includes six
barbershops that will participate. As more books are bought or donated,
the program will grow to include other barbershops.
"We are
grateful to all of the barbershops that already have agreed to
participate in B-BOB," said Ranger. "We also are seeking donors and
sponsors to help us expand the program." Current partners in the program
include the DCCCD African American Read-In committee, as well as State
Farm Insurance, the Green Sheet Foundation, Earning by Learning of
Dallas and Scholastic, and American Legacy Magazine. Anyone interested
in joining the effort as a sponsor can contact Ranger at 214-860-2005.
Participating
barbershops designate an area in their stores - the reading nooks -
where age-appropriate books are available to read while young boys wait
for their haircuts. Each boy fills out a reading log so that he can
track how much time he spends reading during each visit. B-BOB shops
also can provide additional incentives, such as a free or discounted
haircut for boys who read a pre-designated number of books.
"We've
seen other benefits grow from B-BOB, too," said Ranger, "such as
read-aloud sessions between adults and children; shared reading among
children; discussions about books they have read; and follow-ups that
involve related books. We believe this initiative is an ideal way to
promote literacy among young men and to encourage them to read."
For more information, call Ranger or Doncella Milton at 214-860-2005; or Allison Neal at 214-616-2965.