Aligned with the mission of the University of Illinois as a land grant institution and with the goals of the College of Education, the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities serves as a vital resource to local school districts and educators. The Center works collaboratively with local education agencies to create sustainable improvement in education. The core focus of the Center is to collaboratively plan and sustain long-term, job-embedded professional learning experiences for teachers. The Center partners with local schools to conduct research on these collaborative efforts in order to further understanding of what works and to explore ways to grow such efforts. The importance of the research, service, and outreach that the Center provides is based on the critical need to support the success of our schools and its students. To date, our collaborative work has resulted in expanding the capacity of local schools to deliver quality instruction as well as the establishment of other meaningful partnerships supporting literacy, mathematics, and second-language learning.
Please plan to attend the Youth Literature Festival on October 22. You are welcome to visit the booth created by Dr. Cheryl Light Shriner of the Department of Special Education and several college students. They will offer adapted story materials, props, and a hands-on interactive activity area for children with and without disabilities and a resource table for educators and parents. Teachers, parents, and children are all encouraged to come and try out the materials and activities. This booth area provides college students the opportunity to expand their skills in adapting literature and literacy materials for a wide range of abilities that children have and also the opportunity to interact with children, parents, and professionals. Children enjoy the activities. Parents and teachers have mentioned in the past that the resources provided give them new ideas and materials that can be implemented in their homes or classrooms immediately.