A new collaboration, The Literacy Project, was initiated in order to meet complementary needs of students at both Pius XI High School and Marquette University’s School of Education.  During the project, Pius XI freshmen will be paired with MU secondary education students enrolled in the EDUC 125: Literacy in the Content Areas course, an offering typically taken in the junior or senior year of the teacher education program.  MU students will get to know the multiple literacies of their assigned Pius XI students and will work with them on literacy strategies important for success in academics and in life.  To exhibit their learning, the MU students will complete case study reports to document their involvement with Pius XI students.  MU students will also hold office hours as Literacy Fellows in the school’s Literacy Center and will be required to attend at least two extracurricular events at the school.

 

The idea evolved last spring in conversations between School of Education’s, Dr. Terry Burant, several Pius XI teachers (Dominic Inouye, Kate Knowlton, Terry Mank) and their curriculum director, Dave Dentinger.  Dr. Melinda Skrade, who begins her tenure as principal of Pius in 2006-2007, and Mary Kurhajetz, AcademicVice Principal, have also been instrumental to the collaboration.  Dr. Skrade is an alumni of the doctoral program in the School of Education.

 

Pius XI web site: http://www.piusxi.org/