The Center for Adolescent Literacies

Since 2007, the Center for Adolescent Literacies at UNC Charlotte has partnered with community organizations and schools to support literacy and instruction for adolescents and young adults through collaborative teaching and tutoring partnerships, professional development, program evaluation and research. Below is a snapshot of some of the Center’s  collaborative efforts since its inception: 

  • The Literacy for Democracy programs in which Center faculty and UNC Charlotte students partnered with schools in Charlotte Mecklenburg, Cabarrus County, and Kannapolis as well as with organizations including Freedom School Partners to provide  tutoring and educational support in schools through service learning. These collaborations took different forms based on the needs of organizations served. 
  • ReadWriteServe (RWS) tutoring programs provided training and support to community partners working with the United Way of Greater Charlotte, Greater Enrichment Programs, Inc., YWCA of Central Carolinas, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolinas. RWS programs provided tutor training and tutoring materials to thousands of volunteers as well as supporting an America Reads tutoring program in Charlotte Mecklenburg, Cabarrus County, and Kannapolis. 
  • Multiyear program evaluation and research on Freedom School Partners Inc. Freedom School programs in Charlotte from 2009 through 2024 documenting reading outcomes of K-8 participants in the program.
  • Providing teacher and staff professional development to educators in multiple schools in CMS, Cabarrus County, Lincoln County, Cleveland County, and Kannapolis as well as to staff in youth-serving organizations including the YMCA, YWCA, Greater Enrichment Program, Boys & Girls Clubs, and Promising Pages. 

What we are doing…​

During the Fall 2025, the Center is conducting an adolescent literacy needs assessment. The purpose of this research to learn from schools and organizations serving youth from 4th grade through early adulthood (grades 4-12+) what strengths and challenges they face with literacy and literacy-related learning. We hope to learn about the strengths and challenges organizations encounter related to their work with adolescents literacy and literacy-related learning and from this to develop ways to support schools and community organizations serving adolescents.