Sixteen-year-old Gabriella Lowe leans down between Kilby Shores Elementary School first-graders Santonio McPhee and Garrett Hedrick, helping them cut out flash cards.

“Who can tell me what this is?” Lowe said, pointing to a picture of a bright red pickup truck and sounding out the first two letters. “What other words sound like this?”

As the Lakeland High School junior works her way around the table, five first-graders toss words at her: “Trail. Truck. Treat.”

Across the hall, Lakeland High School seniors Sharnice Sherrod and Kiera Rountree read books to another class of Kilby Shores’ first-graders. The older students then fielded questions about their bedtimes from their curious, young counterparts.

It’s all part of new partnership between Kilby Shores and Lakeland’s Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society and journalism class.

About 30 Lakeland students spent several hours on Wednesday and Thursday volunteering at Kilby Shores. They will visit the school twice a month, said organizer and Lakeland teacher India Meissel.

The program, which started this week, was designed as a literacy partnership, said Meissel. But organizers believe it has the potential to branch into other areas, including mentoring and “lunch buddy” relationships.

“I love little children,” said Lowe, who wants to study chemistry. “It reminds me how it was when I was younger and went to school here. This hall still smells like anti-bacterial hand soap.”

Lakeland junior D’Avion Godwin said she enjoys the opportunity to work with the children.

All the students benefit from the partnership, Meissel said.

The volunteering helps Lakeland students meet their mandate to log 50 hours of volunteer service before graduation, she said.

Journalism students are covering the event as if they were working journalists, added journalism teacher Nicole Paitsel.