What do you know about Chicago Literacy Alliance - Writer's Theatre?
The Chicago Literacy Alliance is an association of agencies operating in and around the city to help meet literacy needs for people of all ages and backgrounds.
-They are dedicated to increasing the combined impact of the community’s literacy agencies by providing opportunities for creative and effective collaboration.
-Chicago Literacy Alliance members include organizations from across the city and beyond. Collectively, we provide literacy services at every life stage, from early childhood through adult.
Literacy Nights
Literacy Nights are a signature program of the Chicago Literacy Alliance.
At Literacy Nights, multiple Chicago Literacy Alliance member organizations provide 2-3 hours’ worth of student programming in reading, writing, and literacy activities as well as books to take home, resource sharing for parents and families, and program introductions for teachers and staff. These events, which have helped thousands of people discover the wide range of literacy support activities in Chicago, can be held at schools, community centers, or any other family-friendly venue. Participating organizations vary for each event, but always include programs for both children and adults.
To arrange a Literacy Night at your school or community location, contact Kate McIlvain ([email protected]).
Chicago Reads
From 2011-2012, the Chicago Literacy Alliance piloted a collaborative initiative at Cameron School in the Humboldt Park community.
Over the course of the project, Chicago Literacy Alliance member organizations joined forces with community partners on many levels to provide much-needed literacy support services for children and adults.
The percentage of 3rd-8th grade students at Cameron who met or exceeded grade level reading scores increased from 55.8% in 2010-11 to 57.3% in 2011-12, a 1.5 point or 2.7% increase. The Chicago Literacy Alliance and its participating members are proud to have contributed to this improvement and to have worked with such inspiring students, teachers, and staff.
Data Maps
To help all Chicagoans find and benefit from the rich array of literacy services across the city, the Chicago Literacy Alliance is developing an online data map.
Literaseek, scheduled for launch in 2014, will help improve awareness of available resources among key sectors (particularly education, government, philanthropy, and the general public, develop a channel through which those who need/use/provide literacy services can balance their current program/location portfolio with others that would be of use, identify the level of services available in given areas and assess which of them may be over/under-served, and demonstrate the commitment of the city to literacy as a cause.
Chicago Literacy Alliance member organizations leading the project include Bookwallah, Chicago Cares, JumpStart, Kids Like Us, Literacy Works, Open Books, Reach Out And Read, Rock For Reading, and Working In The Schools (WITS). This committee represents active program involvement with every level of literacy service, from early childhood through adult.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to Ingenuity Inc., creators of artlook Map, for their ongoing support and advice on this project.
For more information on the data map project, contact Shaunna MacLeod([email protected]).
