While the demographic landscape of America’s classroom population has shifted, children’s literature has not been reflective of this change. Children of all races, genders, socio-economic status, and ability status need to read books which are reflective of the world’s diversity and reiterate the strengths that each of us brings to our larger world. This viewpoint not only provides marginalized students with a sense of pride about themselves and their abilities, but also provides opportunities for “majority” students to understand their privileges and the positive social effects of allowing all people the opportunity to be seen and heard.  

The Women’s Center is proud to announce the expansion of our Literacy and Social Justice Program. In alignment with the Women’s Center’s goals of education, advocacy, and leadership development, this programs seeks to provide literacy development and intentional conversations about gender, race/ethnicity, class and ability. This program provides a high-impact, experiential based learning opportunity for NC State students, faculty, and staff and elementary-age children served by community-based organizations that focus on addressing disparities in low-income youth and families.  

Specific program goals include:

• Fostering the personal and academic development of local low-income youth that attend the Washington Elementary School Boys and Girls Club.
  
  
• Developing pride regarding one’s own identity, including intersection of identities (e.g., race, class, gender, ability).
  
  
• Building community, through sharing of common interests and struggles, where individuals feel valued and self-efficacy is developed.
  
  
• Fostering the personal, academic and professional capacity of NCSU student mentors and developing “equity-minded practitioners,” who are willing to engage in the necessary, and sometimes difficult, conversations that can lead to transformational change.

Our pilot took place in the spring of 2012. We collaborated with the College of Education and a community partner (Read & Feed) to serve one site (Washington Elementary School Boys and Girls Club). We had 15 NCSU volunteers serving 32 children each week.

This year, we've grown to include:

• Additional staffing: two part-time AmeriCorps Literacy members.
  
  
• Four sites (transportation provided) with an anticipated 80+ children for the Fall of 2012.
  
  
• We need at least 25 volunteers on Mondays (3:45-5:15), 40 volunteers on Tuesdays (4-5:30), and 15 volunteers on Thursdays = 80 volunteers needed on a weekly basis for 13 weeks.
  
  
• Different pedagogical approaches to literacy - incorporation of technology with our Poe library site; incorporation of the arts and storytelling at our Youth 4 Hope and Neighbor 2 Neighbor sites.
  
  
• 12 faculty/staff volunteer reader opportunities available on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 @ Poe.
  
  
• A campus-based Literacy and Social Justice Book Club (currently reading, Let Justice Roll Down, by Dr. John Perkins, which includes a dinner with Dr. Perkins next week).
  
  
• A campus-based intergenerational  Women and Leadership Book Club (beginning 9/18, How Remarkable Women Lead, by Joanna Barsh, Susie Cranson and Geoffrey Lewis).

Want to get involved, impact your community and make a positive difference in the lives of our future leaders?  Please see the facebook page for important dates, details, testimonies, and pictures; or email Jennifer Castillo. We are looking for student, staff and/or faculty volunteers. Please join us at one of our MANDATORY trainings on Monday, 9/10 OR Tuesday, 9/11 in Talley 3120. Training sessions run from 3:30-5:30 pm. This program is a 13 week* commitment -- your reading buddy will be depending on you and looking forward to seeing you each week! Faculty/staff: Please note, there is a “reader” opportunity on campus that will only require an hour of your time if you are available Tuesdays from 4-5pm. Training is not required for readers. Please contact Dr. Angela Wiseman, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education, to sign up as a faculty/staff reader.

Diversity Mini-Grant Program