Cocky’s Reading Express, the University of South Carolina’s childhood literacy outreach program, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025. For two decades, the program has brought excitement and books to elementary schools across South Carolina, with children eagerly welcoming Cocky, the university mascot.
The program aims to address childhood illiteracy in South Carolina by engaging students through interactive reading events and providing them with free books. The initiative was inspired by concerns about the state’s high illiteracy rate and a desire for the university to take a leadership role in improving literacy among young people.
Tommy Preston, who helped launch Cocky’s Reading Express as a student government leader, said that then-dean Charles Bierbauer played a key role in shaping the mission. “Charles told us how South Carolina had the third highest illiteracy rate in the country, and we had an obligation to do something,” Preston said. He also recalled how emotional it was to see children receive their first book: “She said, ‘You have to realize that this is, for some of these kids, the first book that they will own in their house.’”
Since its founding in 2005, Cocky’s Reading Express has visited at least one Title I school each week and served all 46 counties in South Carolina. In 2025 alone, more than 22,200 books were distributed to over 15,500 students. The program also installed Little Free Libraries throughout the state and relies on a core group of student volunteers who help organize events and interact with children.
Margaret Jackson, CRE coordinator and emcee, credits teamwork for the program’s longevity: “There’s a lot of people involved and a lot of moving parts,” she said. Student volunteers like Faith Moody and Briana Vinson say participating is rewarding both for themselves and for the children they serve. “My favorite part of CRE is really teaching kids that learning and reading can be interactive, and it can be enjoyable,” Vinson said.
Teachers such as Jessica Smoak have praised Cocky’s Reading Express for making reading fun while giving students access to books they might not otherwise have at home. “It’s great just getting them excited about how a book can be fun,” Smoak said. “And then the fact that they actually get to take a book with them — so many of these children don’t have books at home… They’ll remember that forever.”