UW-Platteville’s Student Wisconsin Education Association delivered educational pamphlets to two area hospitals on Nov. 16 with help from a literary grant from the National Education Association.

“We received a National Classroom grant that will help fund most of our projects this year,” Community Outreach Coordinator of Student WEA Ashley Ace said. As part of the grant Student WEA has to repeat this project next year.

“In these pamphlets we included two baby books, nursery rhyme books, puppets and baby items donated in part by the west side Madison Wal-Mart,” Ace said.

“Wal-Mart was very generous,” President Staci Coren, said. “They covered almost all of the expenses.”

In the pamphlets, Student WEA also included information on why introducing literature at an early age is important for early stages of development, Vice President Christi Rischar said.

Students at Neal Wilkins Elementary in Platteville helped stuff the bags for the hospitals and the members delivered the pamphlets to Southwest Health Center in Platteville and Upland Hills in Dodgeville. Next year they hope to expand the program and reach out to hospitals in the members’ hometowns.

In the past, Student WEA has sponsored such programs as Dying to Teach and Outreach to Teach, which sheds light on revenue caps in public schools.

They also provide opportunities for students looking to enter the education workforce in the future by conducting mock interviews with professionals and hosting guest speakers for students to learn from. They also do a PPST practice session each year.

“This is actually Student WEA’s first solid year as an organization, and we are trying to get our name out to the campus and the community,” Rischar said.

Student WEA is open to all students regardless of major and is a national organization.

This year Student WEA was invited to attend the Wisconsin Education Association Council convention, Secretary and Treasurer Kristin Schleeter said. At the convention, members have opportunities to make connections with professionals in the educational field.

Information about the benefits of membership with Student WEA can be found at weac.org/Student-WEA. For information on UW-P’s chapter, students can contact the adviser, Vic Levy, levy@uwplatt.edu.