Partnerships
Community Connections
The Department of Childhood Education and Literacy Studies is fully engaged with its surrounding community to provide access to models of best practice in education. The department is also engaged with broader state, national, international and online communities who have a shared interest in educational research and practice in the areas of early childhood, elementary, and literacy studies.
Contemporary Literacies Collaborative (CLC)
The Contemporary Literacies Collaborative at the USF College of Education is a research partnership among faculty and graduate students who are interested in investigating the ways in which technological changes affect literate practices. The CLC focuses on new literacies, literacy in new contexts, identity formation, power structures, and the changing set of skills that empower people to communicate. CLC researchers share a particular interest in how these contemporary literacies can be brought back into the classroom to engage students and to prepare them for happy, productive, literate lives.
Journal of Reading Education (JRE)
The Journal of Reading Education, a refereed publication of the Organization of Teacher Educators in Reading. The focus of the JRE is to promote excellence in literacy education through improvement in the professional development of reading teachers. The articles of interest to JRE members include: improving professional practices in higher education; helping teachers improve their instruction; facilitating administrative and supervisory practices; and researching teaching practices. Drs. Janet Richards and Nancy Williams are the JRE editors.
USF Young Authors Conference
The USF Young Authors Conference is a festival for children in grades Kindergarten through five who have written and/or illustrated stories, poetry, and non-fiction. The purpose of the celebration is to honor the creativity of children and to promote lifelong writing, reading, and visual expression. This event is an opportunity to support and showcase the writing and illustrations of diverse students. During the scheduled events, children share their writing with each other, listen to guest speakers who are nationally recognized authors and illustrators, participate in writing activities, and have the opportunity to take part in an author book signing.
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University Area Community Center (UACC)
The UACC is an ongoing collaboration between the USF Department of Childhood Education & Literacy Studies and the University Area Community Center. In this program, USF works with the UACC after-school program to provide tutoring and enrichment in both traditional and new media literacies. The preservice teachers work with "at-risk" students to enhance literacy skills, strategies, and attitudes about reading and writing.