iEngage Summer Civics Institute
In July, Dr. Michelle Bauml directed the 9th annual TCU iEngage Summer Civics Institute for over 50 rising 6th-9th graders thanks to a gift from the Sumners Foundation. At iEngage, students spent 5 days carrying out inquiry projects about issues impacting the Fort Worth community and shared their findings and recommendations through multimedia presentations. Preliminary findings from research conducted during this year’s iEngage suggest that as they carried out inquiry projects in small groups, these middle school students practiced civic learning dispositions that are important for future civic participation. Additionally, youth participants recognized that tackling problems in the community requires knowledge-building skills (e.g., finding credible information) and community-building (e.g., collaborating and coming to consensus).
Early Literacy Institute Powered by PNC
On June 2, faculty members Dr. Jan Lacina Dr. Michelle Bauml, Dr. Robin Griffith,
Dr. Kathleen Kyzar, Dr. Endia Lindo, and Dr. Jennifer Smith hosted TCU's first Early
Literacy Institute Powered by PNC. The Institute provided professional development
for 67 Head Start and Early Head Start teachers, public school pre-K, and childcare
providers and directors. Research data collected during the institute revealed increased
confidence and implementation-related practices for oral language development, social
and emotional learning, and teacher-family communication.
Read more about the Early Literacy Institute Powered by PNC here.
Summer Reading Camp
In June, Dr. Robin Griffith directed the second annual TCU Summer Reading Camp that served 45 first-6th graders from Starpoint and FWISD. The focus of the camp was on promoting the joy of reading through evidence-based practices, building confidence, and combating summer reading loss. Graduate students in the Language/Literacy program served as camp counselors. Initial findings indicate an increase in student confidence and engagement with reading, primarily due to uninterrupted time for reading and opportunities for readers to choose from a wide variety of high-quality texts. This camp was sponsored by the ANSERS Institute. And Dr. Jennifer Smith serves as a co-PI on the study. Findings will be presented at the Literacy Research Association Conference in Honolulu, HI in December.