College students read at local elementary schools for third annual MLK Day of Service

On Monday, January 21, students from Michigan Technological University and Finlandia University visited local elementary schools to read to the students there about Martin Luther King, Jr. The act was part of the third annual MLK Day of Service, a national event that calls for individuals to perform volunteer work on each MLK Day. Witnessing Michigan Tech student Stewart Liburd read to Emelia Johnson’s third-grade class at Houghton Elementary School was inspiring. The chosen book, from National Geographic Kids, advocated values that Martin Luther King, Jr. espoused in his lifetime- equality, tolerance and pacifism. Liburd and Johnson also provided metaphors for segregation to the children in order to help them grasp the concept. The young students also eagerly answered questions about the book at its conclusion. The reading proved to be an excellent way to teach children about compassion and morality as well as an important part of our country’s history.