UA Advertising, PR Students Raise $4,000 for Literacy

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Literacy Is The Edge, or LITE, a University of Alabama student advocacy group dedicated to ending functional illiteracy in West Alabama, announced it raised more than $4,000 in its 2011 campaign “Empower Literacy.”

The campaign, which ran from Nov. 7 until Dec. 1, aimed to raise awareness about functional illiteracy problems in West Alabama, recruit reading tutors, produce communication materials and raise funds for the Literacy Council of West Alabama.

All money raised and communication materials produced by LITE will support the LCWA’s 2012 campaign to improve literacy skills and empower residents of West Alabama.

By campaign’s end, LITE had recruited 211 reading tutors, talked to more than 2,500 UA students about literacy efforts and raised $4,042.19. Fundraising efforts included information tables at the Ferguson Center and Quidditch on the Quad, a fundraiser at Zoe’s Kitchen in the South entrance of Bryant-Denny stadium and a cookout in partnership with Sigma Nu and Phi Mu.

Patrick Boardman, vice president of communication and production, explained LITE’s campaign was an important step to increase awareness of the literacy problem in West Alabama and support the work of the LCWA.

“It’s shocking when you hear that 1 in 4 Alabamians struggles with reading,” Boardman said. “That’s why we continue to need everyone’s help. Low literacy skills hurt individuals and are closely linked to poverty, unemployment, workforce productivity and crime rates.”

To spread awareness, LITE produced and distributed multiple communication materials including brochures, print ads, flyers and promotional stickers. Three public service announcements were produced in partnership with WVUA-TV, along with an Internet promotional video to foster discussion about functional illiteracy. In total, students worked 520 hours outside of class and spoke to 2,500 students at the Ferguson Center, Quidditch on the Quad and in 18 classes.

“The most important message we wanted to get out across all materials produced and all the people we spoke to is that functional illiteracy harms the people in our community, and getting involved with the Literacy Council of West Alabama is something we can all do to stop its devastating effects,” Boardman said.  “It only takes a little to help a lot.”

For more information about the campaign or becoming a reading tutor, e-mail LiteracyIsTheEdge@gmail.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter by searching “Literacy Is The Edge.”

Formed in 2008 by graduate students in the APR program at The University of Alabama, LITE falls under the direction of Dr. Bruce Berger. Each year, students become officers and members of LITE and work to support the LCWA in raising awareness of literacy issues affecting West Alabama communities. Berger is Reese Phifer Professor of Advertising & Public Relations in the College of Communication and Information Sciences.