The Center for Adolescent Literacies

Who we are

The Center for Adolescent Literacies at UNC Charlotte (CAL) partners with community organizations and schools to support literacy and learning for adolescents and young adults (grades 4-12+) through teaching and tutoring partnerships, professional development, program evaluation, and research. Since 2007, the Center for Adolescent Literacies has collaborated with schools and non-profit organizations including the United Way of Greater Charlotte, Freedom School Partners, Greater Enrichment Programs, Inc., the YWCA of Central Carolinas, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolinas as well as schools in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Rowan, Lincoln, Gaston, and Iredell counties among others.

The Center for Adolescent Literacies works across grade levels from upper elementary through middle, high school and into early adulthood. Our view is that literacy embodies a set of skills and processes that are multimodal, interdisciplinary, and lifelong.

For more about the Center for Adolescent Literacies including the team including UNC Charlotte faculty who guide the work of CAL, visit our About the Center page.

A group of teens are seated and smiling.

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.

In the March 2026 the Center announced the Adolescent Literacy Innovation Collaborative (ALIC) Partnership Grant program. The goal of the ALIC Partnership Grant is to fund collaborative projects (up to $5000.00) that systematically examine and reflect upon teaching and learning practices that impact adolescent literacy development using appropriate research methods.

A teacher holds a globe of the world as elementary age students point to places on the globe.

For more information

For more information about the Center for Adolescent Literacies reach out to our co-directors: Dr. Chris O’Brien (Special Education and Child Development), Dr. Bruce Taylor (Reading & Elementary Education), and Dr. Jean Vintinner (Reading & Elementary Education).