Students at one school in Houston’s Sunnyside community got a chance to build a foundation of financial savvy alongside their reading skills recently, during a four-day literacy camp sponsored by Capital One and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

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About 50 children in grades 1 through 3 took part in the “Literacy for Life – Choices, Character, Careers and College” program at Woodson K–8 during the week of June 11. Activities in math and reading were combined to help students learn basic financial concepts, such as how to set up checking and savings accounts, what a “bounced” check is, and how credit cards work.

Guest speakers also gave short presentations about their professions and how math and reading skills played a part in their success. At the end of the camp, each student received a paperback book and a backpack filled with school supplies to take home, courtesy of Capital One, and a “Lifelong Learning” T-shirt from Alpha Kappa Alpha. HISD’s Library Services department also brought the district’s new bookmobile to the event.

“The goal of this camp is to accelerate the acquisition of key literacy skills, to build fluency and confidence, and to demonstrate that literacy is essential in careers and in life,” said Lucy Bremond, senior manager of HISD Strategic Partnerships. A similar camp is being organized for students at C. Martinez Elementary and Marshall Middle schools in the Fulton area as well.

The Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Capital One are both 2010 inductees into HISD’s Partnership Hall of Fame.