Key Chapter Winner Highlight: North Dakota State University

We would like to recognize North Dakota State University for being a Key Chapter for the 2012-2013 academic year.
One of the North Dakota State University chapter‘s more notable events was their Read for the Record initiative, which highlights the importance of early childhood education and Jumpstart’s mission: to work toward the day when every child in the United States enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. This special occasion is listed as one of their university’s official Homecoming Week events. By partnering with the West Acres Shopping Center and receiving media coverage in the local paper, television stations and the campus newsletter, the Golden Key chapter was able to recruit celebrity readers and was named an official 2012 Reading Partner by Jumpstart, which is the organization who started the Read for the Record campaign. Although ice and snow affected the amount of people at the mall, the featured book, Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by David Soman and Jacky Davis, was read nineteen times between noon and 7 pm with over forty children attending.  The story was also featured North Dakota State University childcare center and was read to twenty-eight children, bringing the total to sixty-nine children who were a part of this service initiative. Read for the Record set a worldwide record that year by reaching out to 2,385,305 children, an increase of 201,150 kids from the year before!
The North Dakota State University chapter also, at the request of an honorary member, gathered its members, alumni and honorary members to attend and show their support for the 7^th annual North Dakota State University’s Women’s Basketball Game. Members were encouraged to wear the Golden Key chapter t-shirts. The honorary member had the announcer mention the Golden Key chapter and coordinated a group photo with the university mascot, Thundar. Several members attended the Women’s Week social prior to the game, as well. The event was a great opportunity to spend time with the chapter’s members in a non-academic setting and helped to build relationships amongst them, which is imperative for strong, chapter leadership.
Congratulations to the North Dakota State University for their hard work and being recognized as a 2012-2013 Key Chapter!