The Literacy Initiative joins the resources of the University of Oregon English Department/Writing Center and the community of Eugene, enabling students to work on literacy projects for local social service agencies, businesses, and schools, and offering classes that may be of interest to community members as well as to regular University of Oregon students. The larger aim is to promote an ongoing conversation about scholarship on literacy, literacy needs and discussions of solutions.
University of Oregon students ought to be a great resource to a community that needs their help, particularly in literacy learning. The University of Oregon English Department ought to provide leadership in community literacy efforts. However, although many students are interested in bridging the gap between academic education and practical community work, their efforts have not been articulated with the academic work they carry out in English classes. And, although many community members are 'interested in literacy issues, the connection between local concerns and the resources of the English Dept./Writing Center has just begun in the past two years.
This program offers students in the English major opportunities to take courses coordinated with a service learning internship. The courses present the theory and history of cultural, critical, and community literacies, youth literature, and ways of assisting others in reading and writing projects. The service leaming internship places students in community sites, including government, schools (elementary, middle, and high schools, both public and private, to work with both mainstream and alternative programs such as ESL and New Roads), and other nonprofit organizations (including social agencies such as Lane Shelter Care). The placement of these students and articulation with coursework will be coordinated by the University of Oregon Writing Center.
The students benefit by this outreach in a number of ways, gaining experience in the off-campus world and gaining the satisfaction of putting knowledge to work. This bridge between the university and the community has important larger benefits as well, improving mutual understanding about the literacy issues we all face now and in the coming years.