OCTC's Brown Speaker at Literacy Project Launch

Owensboro Community amp; Technical Colleges Kaye Brown was a guest speaker at the professional development launch of the literacy initiative Isaac Murphy Everybody Reads Project at UKs Singletary Center for the Arts on August 14, 2010.

The University of Kentucky has helped launch the statewide literacy project with Isaac Murphy serving as the centerpiece for the initiative. The Isaac Murphy Everybody Reads Project was designed in cooperation with the UK College of Arts amp; Sciences and educators from around the Commonwealth as a statewide project to coincide with the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Isaac Murphy is considered one of the greatest jockeys in American history. He won 628 out of 1,412 races, a 44 percent victory rate that has never been matched and many think will never be surpassed. Murphy was the first and one of only two African- American jockeys to be inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The reading project will feature two books about Isaac Murphy: Patsi Trollingers childrens book, "Perfect Timing" and Frank X Walkers new collection of poetry, "Isaac Murphy: I Dedicate This Ride. Walker is an English Professor at UK, and has been a featured author at OCTCs Common Reading project.

Brown was asked to give a short presentation on OCTCs Common Reading project in conjunction with the Isaac Murphy Everybody Reads program training. Brown addressed the value of having a common book read and discussed across the curriculum. Anyone interested in using the book or lesson plans should contact Brown at kaye.brown@kctcs.edu for more information. The childrens book is geared toward elementary school curriculums while Walkers book of poetry is well suited for middle and high school students.