About The Village Project

What if students in universities supported children in public schools in their local communities to learn? That question inspired the creation of Elon University’s “It Takes a Village” Project in 2008. Originally an after-school reading program, it has evolved into a multi-faceted literacy development project focused on access and success based on community needs.

Part of the Center for Access and Success, the Village Project connects Elon students, families, and community groups to support K-5 students. Each week, ABSS students and their parents meet with Elon volunteers for tutoring. Today, the program serves around 1,200 students annually across all ABSS Title I elementary schools.

Mission

The Village Project seeks to increase the academic skills of children in ABSS who struggle, particularly those from low-wealth families, from minority and underrepresented backgrounds, and/or from homes where English is not the primary language. Now, in our 16th year, we are meeting that pursuit and far more.

Top 5 Goals Of The Village Project

  • Encourage reading in children and highlight parents’ contributions.
  • Focus on the community & universities’ role in young students’ education.
  • Engage public school teachers in the tutoring process.
  • Ensure schools of education shape preservice teachers’ views of struggling students and their parents.
  • Underscore the function schools of education must undertake in shaping preservice teachers’ views of children who struggle with reading and view of parents of these students.