Literacy Action Network - Request for Proposals

Request for Proposals - The Literacy Action Network
Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE)
The Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE) is
pleased to announce a Request for Proposals from campus-based literacy
programs interested in joining the Literacy Action Network (LAN).  The
objective of the Literacy Action Network is to provide opportunities
for college student tutors and campus-based literacy programs to
explore and deepen their understanding of issues related to literacy
and community work.  SCALE will award 10-12 subgrants of up to $10,000
to institutions of higher education proposing exciting projects that
link direct service literacy tutoring programs with service-learning
courses or co-curricular seminars.  The average subgrant amount is
expected to be $6000-7500.   LAN is funded by the Corporation for
National and Community Service -- Learn and Serve America.  Proposals
must arrive in the SCALE office by 5:00 pm on September 27, 2002. 
Applicants will be notified by October 4, 2002.  
SCALE is a national training and technical assistance organization
that works with college students, adult learners, administrators,
literacy practitioners and community partners to implement and support
participatory education and social change work in campus-based
literacy programs.  SCALE is part of the School of Education at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The goals of the Literacy Action Network are (1) to engage college
student tutors in academic courses or co-curricular seminars related
to the complex issues involved in literacy education; (2) to connect
existing literacy tutoring programs to service-learning in order to
enhance the direct service outreach as well as the civic awareness and
engagement of college students; (3) to network and share information
between campuses involved in direct service literacy outreach and
related service-learning to inform and enhance practice; (4) to
disseminate products developed through the network to encourage
similar programs on additional campuses.

To be eligible for funding, a campus must operate a direct service
literacy/tutoring program staffed by college students who are
work-study or volunteer tutors and demonstrate a commitment to
service-learning practice.  Programs that have received LAN funds in
either of the past two years are not eligible to reapply.

Currently, the Literacy Action Network is a consortium of 28 campus
literacy programs.  In addition to service-learning seminars, LAN
partners also participate in ongoing reflection related to
service-learning and develop “action projects” related to new learning
and community outreach. All partners must connect direct service
literacy work to spring coursework or co-curricular forums, ongoing
reflection and a final action project.  In order for network partners
to share materials and participate in discussions on issues related to
literacy outreach, SCALE requires all seminars to incorporate at least
three of the following topics:
Literacy Education in the United States - Methodology, Philosophies
Diversity and Tolerance - Gender, Race, Age, Class or Culture and
Literacy Education
Socio-Economic Issues and Literacy - Poverty and Education, Welfare to
Work
Education Policy - Local, State and National Levels
Community Partnerships/Community Development and Asset Mapping
Social Justice Movements
Advocacy 
Civic Responsibility
Immigration
Trends in Literacy - Workplace, GED, Family, Child, Adult, Health,
ESOL, Basic Skills or Adult High School

For descriptions of the work undertaken by current Literacy Action
Network partners, please see SCALE's LAN website at
<http://www.unc.edu/depts/scale/lan.html>.

For information about how to apply, please visit
<http://www.readwriteact.org/lan-appinfo.html> or for more
information, contact Kathy Sikes, SCALE's Executive Director, at
919.962.1542 or ksikes@email.unc.edu <mailto:ksikes@email.unc.edu>.