Rochester, Mich. (Feb. 21, 2007) ???C Oakland University???s athletics department and the Detroit Country Day School have partnered to create a reading project, one that has proven to be very successful, over the last four months. The OUR (Oakland University Reading) project involves Golden Grizzly student-athletes taking time to visit the school and read to the students. Members from nearly every Golden Grizzly team have taken part in a reading project, which involves students in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, at the Country Day School. Former Oakland student-athlete Laura Cowham, who is a teacher at the school, and OU compliance coordinator, Anne Williams, have spearheaded the project. Oakland student-athletes read a book that illustrates a positive character trait that contributes to the overall theme of sportsmanship. They then lead a discussion about the book and issues surrounding the particular trait. The student-athletes also take part in question and answer sessions on what it is like to be a student-athlete at Oakland as well as participate in other classroom projects. ???Laura has done a fantastic job of putting together a true program that offers students from her school the ability to see student-athletes in a role model position on a consistent basis,??? remarked Williams. ???Our student-athletes have learned so much, themselves, over the course of this community service project, and have had fun doing it. We plan to use this as a foundation for future partnerships with other community schools.??? Starting last November, the project will continue once a month and will culminate with a sportsmanship day in April at the school.