A recent story from KAXE spotlighted Dr. Kathrina O'Connell, a 1999 Concordia College graduate and associate professor of education, for her work co-creating Reaching Rural Readers, a virtual book club designed to connect high school students in rural communities through shared reading experiences.
The program provides free books to students and brings participants together for online discussions and conversations with authors. Participants also work with education students at Concordia and Bemidji State University, where the program's other co-creator, Dr. Danielle Sullivan, is an associate professor of English and serves as BSU’s English education program coordinator.
Now in its third year, Reaching Rural Readers has expanded beyond Minnesota to include students in North Dakota and Norway. O'Connell told KAXE that the reading program's growth demonstrates the power of books to connect young people across geographic distances and create meaningful learning communities.
Listen to the interview
O'Connell is currently finishing a year in Norway as a Roving Scholar through the U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation for Educational Exchange. It's a highly selective program that places American educators in schools throughout the country to teach, lead workshops, and share innovative educational practices. As the Fulbright Foundation's Roving Scholar for Lower Secondary Schools, she travels across Norway working with students and teachers while exploring themes of literacy, rural education, and multilingual learning.