EMU Today

YPSILANTI – A group of Eastern Michigan University students have been exchanging thoughts and letters with fifth graders from Estabrook, a special program that sharpened communication skills, introduced the younger students to college life and culminated with an EMU campus visit last month.

The program, called Pen Pals and overseen by the VISION Volunteer Center at EMU, paired Eastern students with fifth graders from Estabrook Elementary to write letters back and forth during the academic year.

This year’s program ended with a flourish on March 22 when 64 fifth graders came to EMU for a special Pen Pals Meet and Greet Day, hosted by the EMU Rec/IM staff. The fifth graders met their year-long EMU Pen Pals in person, enjoyed a campus tour, played games, and ate lunch.

The Estabrook students also received EMU T-shirts, purchased by the Eastern Athletics Department, and EMU admissions staff served as campus tour guides.

“We were so thrilled to have them here,” said Becca Timmermans, Program Coordinator for the VISION Volunteer Center.

The Pen Pals program supports literacy through the year-long reading and writing of letters. It also gives the elementary school students a sense of college life, both through their campus visit and through their one-on-one connection with a college student for the year. The program required attending training for how to write letters, being flexible with editing changes, and the three hours of spent with Estabrook students during the visit.

“We know that many of them are future Eagles - and we can't wait to have them,” Timmermans said of the Estabrook students.

Timmermans also praised the teachers at Estabrook – “an amazing partner in this program.”

Dana Oginsky, a teacher at Estabrook, said, "The EMU Pen Pals program is extremely valuable to our students. Not only do they enjoy receiving and sending the letters, (the program) covers many of our content standards for writing, speaking/listening, and grammar. We also were able to have many of our students type their letters this year, which was excellent keyboarding practice that they desperately need.  They also had great practice asking and responding to questions."

Estabrook, a partner in a variety of initiatives with Eastern, including with the College of Education, is located at 1555 Cross Street in Ypsilanti, just down the road from the EMU campus.

Timmermans also extended “a huge thank you” to the EMU students who've been Pen Pals this year, nine of whom were students in the Making Youth Matter Social Work cohort. Timmermans also cited EMU social work professors Celeste Hawkins and Sarah VanZoeren for their support of the program.

"Our trip to EMU to tour campus and meet our pen pals was an experience that the students will never forget," Oginsky said.  "For many of them, it's the only exposure they get to an actual college campus.  As you can tell, Estabrook LOVES our EMU Pen Pals program!"

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 18,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.