PROGRAMS
Our research-driven programs are varied according to specific goals and interests of our partnering institutions that include Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, the Goleta Boys and Girls Club, and Santa Barbara Unified School District. Regardless of the particular community, all such programs align with general CBL tenets that position literacy development as dependent on abundant opportunities for:
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Authentically and critically engaging in reading, writing, speaking and creating within a community context.
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Exploring, envisioning, and collaborating on a variety of literacy-driven topics and issues, particularly those relevant to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) within the context of environmental sustainability.
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Learning that integrates critical sociocultural issues for equity and social justice.
Community Based Literacies in the Schools
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Community Based Literacies is a collaboration between 4th graders at Harding Elementary and UCSB undergraduates. This learning is guided by the children and their “college buddies” facilitate the small groups.
McEnroe Reading Summer Camp Experiences
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Our Summer camp experiences at the McEnroe Reading Clinic aim to strengthen literacy skills by fostering collaborative storytelling within each classroom through various forms of reading, writing, and creating.
Fostering Literacy Skills in Virtual Reality
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The multiple experiential dimensions afforded by VR technology gives children the opportunity to create and experience literacy practices with a deeper, more fully embodied perspective.
Critical Reading Assessment Project
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The CRA Project aims to develop a reading assessment tool that gauges TK-12 student ability to read critically and foster critical reading behaviors in students associated with Community Based Literacies. Reading critically is a unique approach to understanding what we read.