A group of 20 elementary, middle or high school students will learn to write, edit and produce their own hardbound books thanks to a grant from the College of Education’s Improving Futures Fund.
The project will be part of Write to Rise, a new program spearheaded by Dr. Katie Sciurba, a faculty in the School of Teacher Education.
“I am thrilled to be one of this year's Improving Futures Fund recipients,” said Sciurba, who received $5,210 from the IFF. “This award is just what the Literacy Center needs to begin expanding our current offerings to include enrichment programs for children in the City Heights community.”
The Literacy Center is connected to San Diego State University’s School of Teacher Education and functions as a clinical training site for students enrolled in our Master of Arts in Reading Education programs.
The IFF funds will be used primarily to purchase all of the supplies necessary to run a pilot of Write to Rise. Sciurba said she will purchase art supplies, cameras, and utilize a self-publishing website so K-12 students can write, illustrate, and produce copies of their own original books. Funds will also support two undergraduate students, who will be hired to work directly with the children.
Sciurba said children at the K-12 levels will create stories that matter to them and will share these stories with audiences who care about what they have to say. Undergraduate students will benefit from the experience of nurturing young writers. The intent of this program is for all participants to rise to their fullest potential.
“Write to Rise is a creative writing program for children, which will culminate in a "publishing" celebration to be held on campus at SDSU,” said Sciurba, who is a children's book author and teaching artist, and has taught writing to children for 17 years. “It's been such a joy to see children transform into confident writers. I want young people here in San Diego to have the opportunity to have similarly empowering experiences.”
Launched in the fall of 2014 by Dean Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., the Improving Futures Fund provides monetary support to COE’s faculty and staff endeavors that improve the future of COE’s graduates and of children, youth, and adults they will serve.
IFF raises about $25,000 every year and funds three projects annually. For more information about the IFF, visit the fund’s website.