As federal funding cuts put pressure on a beloved early childhood education program, students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo stepped in to help.
This spring, students in three introductory classes used their writing, research and analytical skills to organize a book drive for Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool, a nonprofit that provides free literacy-focused education and caregiver support to families with keiki across Hawaiʻi. The effort was led by longtime English Instructor Lauri Sagle.
“By doing a book donation drive we could also accomplish some useful outcomes,” Sagle said. “Students would read, assess, and choose children’s books to donate to a fabulous local organization, Tūtū and Me, and they would get a specific kind of writing experience, along with genuinely helpful participation in a community project.”
Working with a modest budget, students evaluated children’s books, wrote proposals advocating for their selections and explored literacy resources at 糖心视频 Hilo’s , including books in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). The project connected classroom learning with a real community need.
Postcards to Mayor Alameda
As students learned more about the financial challenges facing Tūtū and Me, their efforts expanded beyond book donations. They wrote postcards to Hawaiʻi Island Mayor Kimo Alameda urging support for the program. Four students in the classes shared that they had once attended Tūtū and Me themselves, adding a personal connection to the project.
Tūtū and Me Project Director Amanda Ishigo later visited campus to share the nonprofit’s mission and the importance of literacy in early childhood education.
“Literacy is more than just reading. It’s speech, it’s listening skills, it’s reading and writing,” Ishigo told students. “Our whole focus is how do we set up for success? How do we make something long-lasting?”
60 books delivered
By the end of the semester, students had donated 60 books, each accompanied by a handwritten note of encouragement. They also collected dozens of postcards advocating for the future of the program. The project demonstrated how skills developed in the humanities can create meaningful impact far beyond the classroom.
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