WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — As apart of Wake Reads, an initiative designed to provide “storytime” for children while giving parents a break while they work from home due to COVID-19, Wake Forest’s Office of Civic & Community Engagement (OCCE.) is posting readings via Youtube.
Marianne Magjuka, executive director of the OCCE, said Wake Reads is just another way the University is demonstrating its motto, “Pro Humanitate.”
"We established Wake Reads as a way to support younger children during this time of social distancing,” Magjuka said. “This is a difficult time for children and caregivers. The Office of Civic & Community Engagement has worked hard to create quality, free educational content, organized in one place, to engage students.”
“Wake Reads is an opportunity for everyone in the Wake Forest community to come together to share the gift of reading,” said Magjuka.
To date, several readings have been posted by students, staff, and alumni. After they’ve finished reading, participants submit a form that goes to Jennifer Rubin, OCCE operations manager, who reviews submissions and posts them.
“I used to do a lot of acting when I was younger, so I relied on the tools I learned from those experiences about voice inflection and eye contact to try to make it interesting,” she said. “I used my computer to record myself, and it was so much fun!” said Rubin about her reading experience.