Carthage Community Literacy Center now open in Kenosha Uptown

Professor Jackie Easley has fulfilled a career-long dream by creating the Carthage College Community Literacy Center and celebrated its grand opening in the Kenosha Emerging Leaders Academy building on Oct. 12.

Prof. Jacqueline EasleyMembers of the Pi Theta sorority participated in the event, providing assistance with a variety of literacy-related family activities, which introduced the community to our literacy center.

The purpose of the literacy center is twofold. First, the center will provide a service to the Kenosha community regarding increased access to supportive literacy development programs for PK-12 students and their families. The second purpose is to provide authentic experiences to undergraduate preservice teachers in creating powerful community-based literacy experiences and diagnosing K-12 students’ literacy needs, while creating targeted lessons and literacy events to increase Kenosha students’ and families’ access to quality literacy experiences and opportunities.

Activities planned for the 2024-25 school year include:

• PJ Family Storytimes
• Little Free Library with resources and literacy pamphlets (English and Spanish)
• Parent Nights (with child care)
• Young Authors Program (for middle school students)
• Collaborations with the new Uptown Children’s Library
• Art and Literacy Programs for elementary students
• Play with Stories: Families with young children attend with weekly themes, followed with a shared meal.
• After-School Homework Help/Tutoring
• English Language Cooking Sessions (for multilingual speakers)
• Professional Development Sessions (for K - 12 reading teachers)

Sponsoring Department, Office, or Organization:

Education Department