The United Way team serving at Harper Woods Secondary School with City Year Detroit is working towards revitalizing the school library and creating a media center that will give students access to age appropriate books and instill in them a love of reading.

Currently, the media center, which serves roughly 600 students, has a small computer lab and a limited supply of books.

Want to help?

Between January 29 and February 2, 10% of barnesandnoble.com online sales will support the project if you use a special City Year code at checkout.

The code to support the Harper Woods Library is: 10674026

For more information on this initiative, visit the City Year Detroit Blog.

For the month of December, we are going to talk about our work in literacy. Each Friday, we are going to post a photo of a notable City Year community member getting caught reading!

This week, we caught Stephanie Wu, Senior Vice President & Chief Program Design and Evaluation Officer, reading at her desk!

What are you reading?

I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman. It is a collection of poems about democracy, cities (especially New York City) and humanity.

What do you like about it?

It’s breathtaking. Two lines in and I am transported. You experience the beauty of both what’s hard in the world and the potential of the world.

Why is reading important?

Through reading you get to experience and feel like from many different perspectives. It gives you a connection to life that is broader and deeper that you wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s learning through feeling rather than didactically.

For the month of December, we are going to talk about our work in literacy. Each Friday, we are going to post a photo of a notable City Year community member getting caught reading!

This week, we caught Charlie Rose, Dean of City Year, reading in his office!

What are you reading?

John Adair’s 100 Greatest Ideas for Effective Leadership. I had the chance to meet John at the International Leadership Association Conference in London this past October. He is one of the greatest leaders – he created action centered leadership. This book provides accessible and practical exercises for understanding the dynamics of leadership including team leadership and goal setting.

What do you like about it?

I like how straightforward and simple it is. One of my favorite sections is the short course on leadership, in which he lays out the most important words a leader can say:

6 most important words: “I admit I made a mistake”

5 most important words: “I am proud of you”

4 most important words: “What is your opinion?

3 most important words: “If you please”

2 most important words: “Thank you”

1 least important word: “I”

Why is reading important?

Reading matters because it is relaxing and mind expanding. The more you read, the more you are able to ask important questions and get the answers you need. We need that creativity and escape in our lives. Reading can take you anywhere.

For the month of December, we are going to talk about our work in literacy. Each Friday, we are going to post a photo of a notable City Year community member getting caught reading!

This week, we caught our CEO and co-founder Michael Brown reading in his office.

What are you reading?

The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation About America, by Tom Brokaw.   It’s about the American dream and American values.  Brokaw talks about what we need to do to keep America great and ensure that the American dream is something that can be attained by all.

What do you like about it?

As a person who has covered American events for generations, Brokaw has a unique and insightful view of America.  The book is hopeful, and has a vision for how we can ensure that Americans from all different backgrounds can succeed.  It calls for harnessing “the volunteer spirit within the American character” for civic engagement and service. That is so important in our country right now—there are pressing problems that national service can help solve.

Why is reading important?

I read to gain access to new ideas, to feed my desire for knowledge and to learn. I read to be inspired and to find more ways to put great ideas into practice at City Year.  And of course, I read for fun—there’s nothing better than a good book.

For the month of December, we are going to talk about our work in literacy. Each friday, we are going to post a photo of a notable City Year community member getting caught reading!

Our first person is Kathryn Robinson, National Literacy Manager at HQ.

CY: What book are you reading?

Kathryn: I’m currently reading Estrella’s Quinceañera by Malín Alegría. It’s a great young adult book that focuses on main character Estrella Alvarez’s attempts at balancing the cultural influences of her home life with the seemingly more sophisticated lifestyles of her friends at her new private school.

CY: What do you like about it?

Kathryn: I picked this book up at the library because I was immediately drawn to the fact that it was a book about quinceañeras (a young woman’s fifteenth birthday party) and of course the picture of the big, froufrou dress on the front. I’m only a few chapters into the book right now, but what I like about it so far are the author’s vivid descriptions of these parties. They bring back memories I have of attending some of my classmates’ quinceañeras at our local Knights of Columbus hall in my hometown of Brazoria, Texas.

CY: Why is reading important?

Kathryn: Reading is important for so many reasons, but I think one of the biggest reasons for its importance is its ability to help people develop empathy. It affords you the ability to experience different cultures, take on varied perspectives, and learn from others in a way that many would otherwise not be able to do. This has been always been an important aspect of my own reading journey, and it is one I always hope to pass on to the students with which I work.