Athens State University will soon be upgrading its Reading and Literacy Lab thanks to a donation from Listerhill Credit Union.

Listerhill presented a $25,000 check Tuesday to Athens State. The university said in a release that the funds will be used to purchase a smart board, books, software, games, journals, assessment tools and technology so the lab can better prepare future teachers for the classroom.

“The College of Education is excited about the impact this much-needed upgrade will have on our teacher candidates and their ability to ignite literacy gains in their current and future students,” said Lee Vartanian, dean of the College of Education. “We thank Listerhill for their commitment to improving the lives and opportunities of children through their support of this engaging literacy lab.”

According to Athens State, the Reading and Literacy Lab is “designed to allow teacher candidates a hands‐on approach for teaching reading.” This includes working with new technologies that are becoming more prevalent in modern K–12 classrooms.

“As the leading institution for bachelor’s-level teachers in Alabama, Athens State prides itself on ensuring that teacher candidates enter the classroom with the tools they need to succeed,” the university said in the release. “The planned upgrades to the Reading Lab will help bridge the gap needed to keep up with the advances in technology necessary to provide this hands-on experience.”

The donation made by Listerhill will also fund quarterly workshops on topics related to reading and literacy to help make prospective teachers more effective reading instructors.

“According to the Nation’s Report Card in 2019, only 58% of all fourth graders in Alabama were reading on grade level,” said Jameha Gardner, associate professor of education. “As a reading specialist and professor, it is my goal to ensure that Athens State produces phenomenal reading teachers that will have the knowledge-base and skills that are necessary to help young children become great readers.”

Gardner said the funds from Listerhill will allow Athens State to provide more professional development for its future teachers.

“Listerhill has always supported local schools, because education is the building block for improving lives,” said Chris Anderson, vice president of marketing at Listerhill Credit Union. “Therefore, an investment into Athens State’s Reading and Literacy Lab, which teaches the teachers, aligns perfectly with our mission.”

The new lab upgrades are expected to provide training for an estimated 1,000 teacher candidates over five years. The Reading Lab will be located in Chasteen Hall.