11/16/12 jb

HAYS, Kan. -- To support higher education at a Kentucky elementary school, the Psychology 225: Introduction to Therapeutic Skills class at Fort Hays State University will sell T-shirts for the Mary Todd Elementary school in Lexington, Ky.

Once a week, teachers at Mary Todd elementary wear T-shirts featuring the university they graduated from to encourage the students to ask questions about the universities. Kathryn Wallert, instructor of psychology at FHSU, heard of this program on the Bob and Sheri radio show and conceived the T-shirt idea as a project to promote FHSU and higher education in general.

"If I can get my students involved to work with these kids and use skills from the class, they will be better educated for the future, " said Wallert. "At the end of the semester the students will submit a reflection paper about what they have learned, and they are to keep a daily journal about their experiences on this project."

The students in Psychology 225 designed the T-shirt and will sell them for $10 for small, medium, large and extra large and $12 for double-extra large and triple-extra large. For every shirt sold, one will be given to a Mary Todd Elementary student and faculty. The goal is to sell 562 shirts to have a shirt for every student and faculty member.

Through videos and email, the Psychology 225 class will stay in contact with the school and will help mentor the students. T-shirts will be shipped when all the shirts are ordered.

FHSU will be featured on the Bob and Sheri radio show to promote the programs offered. Also, it will show that FHSU is reaching across the country to help students of all ages.

"We will take a picture of all the people who bought shirts and send it to Mary Todd Elementary school and once the shirts reach the elementary school, they will send a picture of them in their shirts," said Wallert.

The shirts will be sold in the Memorial Union on Nov. 29 and 30 or contact Wallert at kjwallert@fhsu.edu or 785-628-5862. Sales will end on Friday, Nov. 30.