The Literacy for Democracy Program

Click to see photos of our programs from 2007 to the present.

Literacy for Democracy (LFD) works in economically disadvantaged and transitional communities to improve children's and adolescents’ literacy and academic achievement through service learning engagement with university teacher education students.

University teacher education students earn credit for working with grades 3-12 students on service learning projects identified by community stakeholders. As these groups of students collaborate, the teacher education students support younger students’ reading and writing with explicit tutoring and literacy strategies. Project outcomes are shared with the community on the LFD website. 

Literacy for Democracy seeks to:

1. Empower children and adolescents in grades 3-12 to engage in service to affect positive change in their communities, nation and world.
2. Improve children’s and adolescents’ reading and writing and academic achievement through service learning.
3. Improve university teacher education candidates’ self-efficacy and well being through sustained service learning and civic engagement with grades 3-12 students.
4. Provide university teacher education candidates with concrete experiences working with diverse children and adolescents and thus help future teachers to learn how to more effectively teach diverse students.