Articles by Cassie Willner
I recently had the pleasure of witnessing literacy and dance come together at the Integrated Arts Academy (IAA) in Burlington, VT, where students performed dances they choreographed with Rose Bedard as part of a teaching artist residency sponsored by the Vermont Arts Council and CLiF’s Year of the Book grant.
Remember when you were a young person and you read books that just wrecked you or made you think deeply? For me, as a child, it was “Bridge to Terabithia,” by Katherine Paterson (who is an emeritus CLiF presenter!). More recently, I added a new book to my list: “The Vanderbeekers Ever After.” It’s one of those that unexpectedly shakes you awake to the power of a really good book.
We often tend to think of literacy as the outcome of an instructional practice around reading and writing. But literacy is also a way to communicate and make sense of the world, and music can play an important role in complementing the pedagogy and helping students with their acquisition of skills.
The CLiF Year of the Book grant is a huge deal for schools that are selected. It’s a massive infusion of funds, support, and events designed to help a school build a culture of literacy over the academic year. And, of course, they get lots of books! Students (grades preK-6) each get to take home 10 new, high-quality books that they choose for themselves from a diverse selection.
General / Book Recommendations
Two weeks ago, my 9-year-old daughter watched our beloved hometown of Montpelier, VT go from an idyllic downtown to a mess of ruined homes, businesses, apartments, and office buildings. We’ve witnessed a lot of destruction as well as people coming together to support each other, fundraise, and rebuild. I cannot emphasize these messages of resilience enough as we think and talk about the flood. And yet, I must say it’s a very, very sad scene.
Here at CLiF, we’re all about building community. You’ll hear this phrase throughout our various channels and in reference to our many, many partners across Vermont and New Hampshire. Our work ultimately aims to build a culture of literacy within a local community, and one grant in particular targets this goal: the Community Building Grant.
Free professional development? The chance to network with colleagues and book lovers across Vermont and New Hampshire? Yes please! It’s all there in the upcoming CLiF Community Literacy Conference.
Dates: March 15, 22, and 29 (3-4:30PM EST)
General / Literacy Activities / Book Recommendations
Start practicing your character voices and expressive intonations because World Read Aloud Day is coming up on February 1, 2023!
This bookworm-friendly celebration was founded by LitWorld in 2010, and honors the power of reading aloud, while advocating for literacy as a fundamental human right.
CLiF Grant Applications / Partner Stories / CLiF Spotlight
We’re fortunate here at CLiF to have a committed and wide-ranging collection of partners, many of whom we’ve known and served for decades. The Waterville Town Library, which received a Rural Libraries grant for 2022-23, is one of these programs. Grant coordinator and volunteer Trustee Chrissy Wade wrote and received a CLiF Rural Libraries grant twenty years ago when she first moved to Waterville, Vermont!
Greetings! My name is Cassie and I’m so excited to join the CLiF team as the new literacy program manager and support our incredible mission dedicated to expanding literacy skills amongst Vermont and New Hampshire’s children and youth.
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.