Elementary and high school students unite to develop penmanship, literary skills, and establish relationships.

Pen Pal provides practice in basic writing skills along with the letter-writing experience by the end of the school year.

?Pen pals challenges students to cultivate writing skill, it improves literacy,? Linda Amparano, program advisor, said. ?We choose high school students because the kids look up to them, it is something cool for them.?

Each volunteer writes a minimum of two letters per month, while their Pen Pal writes one. Amparano screens the letters before the letters reach the youth.

?I?m excited about writing letters to little kids,? Phil Unruh, ?07, said, ?and perhaps instilling in them some proper grammatical values.?

Volunteers will meet and spend a day with their third grade student towards the end of the program.

?I?m participating in Pen Pals because I think it?s so much fun to write to little kids,? Abby Schoettler, ?09, said. ?They have such wild imaginations and it?s interesting to talk to someone who?s in a different environment.?

Current high school students were involved with Pen Pals in elementary, which inspired their decision to join Pen Pals.

?My Pen Pal was actually my cousin, John Wiens,? Stephen Willems, ?08, said. ?It was fun. There was one day when they came over and played games and hung out with us for the day.?

The program lasts until April and provides volunteers with community service hours. Permission slips must be returned before the start of Pen Pals, Oct. 3.

For more information call Amparano at 438-8719.