At least 95 students from Faras Elementary and Sarah Marley Elementary schools in Douglas came to cheer for the Cochise basketball teams on Wednesday, January 12th v. Mesa College. Chuck Hoyack, one of the campus deans, provided popcorn and a soda for each student. The visit to the game was part of the COOKIES Program in which college students (over twenty this semester) devote from 25 to 45 hours tutoring and mentoring at these elementary schools plus Naco Elementary. The COOKIES project was started in 2005 by two scholar-athletes (soccer), Amy Hansen and Colleen May and so far has positively impacted the academic and personal development of thousands of Douglas area students.
By bringing elementary students to the Douglas Campus for basketball and baseball games, soccer matches, Spring Fest and other events, the activities promote college as a key part of the students’ academic future. Each semester college athletes also visit area elementary and middle schools, providing sport clinics and demonstrating the importance of both scholarship and athletics.