The Center for Literacy Education supports affiliated faculty, staff, and students who lead programs at Wake Forest University or in the surrounding community that are consistent with the Center’s mission, including a focus on improving literacy education outcomes for its stakeholders.

The Wake Forest University Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School is a free six-week, literacy-based summer program for rising third through fifth-grade students. Through a culturally diverse curriculum, Freedom School encourages a love of reading and learning. With a theme of “I Can Make A Difference,” the Integrated Reading Curriculum affirms scholars with engaging literature and exposure to the broader community.

Literacy Interventions

The Department of Education hosts EDU 316L: Elementary Literacy Interventions. This course includes a clinical experience placement in a local public school for students with an interest in early literacy, including diagnosis and remediation of reading and writing skills. 

The Skip Prosser Literacy Program was established in 2009 to promote literacy education in Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County. Now encompassing various community-engaged literacy programs that involve undergraduate students and student-athletes from Wake Forest, the Skip Prosser Literacy Program seeks to inspire literacy, foster connection, promote community, and empower student leaders.

The Paisley Sports Literacy Program is a weekly program for middle school boys with an interest in sports. The program works with students from Paisley IB Magnet Middle School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The program was started in 2016 by Dr. Alan Brown to support youth through academic, social, and community engagement.

Theatre in Education
Theater in Education Program

Theatre in Education is a cross-listed learning experience for theatre and education students at Wake Forest that allows them to work with children in local elementary schools using theatre techniques and activities to teach the core curriculum. 

Authoring Action provides tools to youth and adults for their personal success in any career, calling, and life path. Students are authors of their own lives once they have learned to think analytically, present confidently, and express themselves dynamically through creative writing, speech, film and design.