Hello Blue Devils fans!  I wanted to highlight one of the most successful and popular community service programs in our athletic department — Read with the Blue Devils.  The program, which was created eighteen years ago, strives to promote the importance of reading to elementary school students in Durham.  Our student-athletes spend time sharing personal stories and answering questions before reading a book (as selected by the kids) to an entire class.  There are currently 15 schools participating in the program and the list continues to grow.

Leslie Barnes, Director of Student-Athlete Development, oversees the program while former field hockey standout and Student Athlete Development and Championships Assistant, Shayna McGeehan, masterfully coordinates the schedule across all 26 sports.  I’ve included a quote from Shayna that speaks to the impact of the program on our student-athletes as well as some recent pictures from our current players….

“Coordinating the Read with the Blue Devils program has been a great pleasure for me. As a former Duke Student-Athlete who has participated in the program, I understand the importance of the program to both the Duke Student-Athletes and local Durham children. This program provides Duke Student-Athletes with the opportunity to be more visible role-models with our community’s youth and to share the importance of literacy and working hard to achieve goals. Duke Student-Athletes are always inquiring me about the date of the next Read with the Blue Devil visit to a local Durham Elementary School. One of my favorite experiences from the program is to watch the children’s faces light up into a huge smile every time the Duke Student-Athletes walk into their classroom. The Read with the Blue Devil program is loved by both the Durham youth and the Duke Student Athletes, and is a great way for the two to learn and grow together.”  vShayna McGeehan, Student Athlete Development and Championships Assistant

PHOTOS: Read with the Blue Devils 2009