Specialized Literacy Professionals Service Project Grant.
The goals of this service project grant initiative are to:
Submissions date for the Service Project Grant is June 1, 2026.
Email submissions to: [email protected]
For more information on applying, please follow the instructions here.
The goals of this service project grant initiative are to:
- initiate, extend, or expand existing university-, school- and/or community-based literacy projects
- support literacy-focused trainings for parents and other community members, and/or professional learning opportunities for teachers, specialists, and other school-based professionals /or parents
- increase access, equity, and diversity efforts related to literacy instruction and/or literacy materials
- expand literacy intervention work.
- align grant work with the SLP mission (http://www.literacyprofessional.org/) and the 2017 Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals (https://literacyworldwide.org/get-resources/standards/standards-2017)
Submissions date for the Service Project Grant is June 1, 2026.
Email submissions to: [email protected]
For more information on applying, please follow the instructions here.
2025 SLP Service Project Grant Winner
Angela Curfman and Melesa Swartz
Project Title: “Read Like a Scientist: Investigating the World Through Literacy”
The 2025 SLP Service Project Grant successfully culminated in a family-centered afterschool caregiver event on April 9. This STREAM-focused initiative was designed to strengthen literacy development through authentic scientific inquiry while empowering caregivers to support critical thinking at home.
Held at a local elementary school, the event was facilitated by West Liberty University faculty and preservice teachers and brought families together to experience literacy and science as interconnected ways of understanding the world. The evening began with an interactive read‑aloud of Ada Twist, Scientist, which modeled key comprehension strategies such as questioning, predicting, and making text-to-world connections. Caregivers and children were encouraged to “read and think like scientists” as they explored how curiosity drives learning.
Following the read‑aloud, families rotated through a series of hands‑on STREAM activity stations intentionally designed to promote observation, analysis, and evidence‑based reasoning. Preservice teachers guided each station using carefully crafted prompts and mentor texts, supporting inquiry‑based conversations and modeling instructional practices aligned with disciplinary literacy and science learning.
The event concluded with the distribution of literacy take‑home kits, which included a copy of Ada Twist, Scientist and age‑appropriate science tools, extending learning beyond the event and into participants’ homes. This experience exemplifies how SLP grant funding can meaningfully support family engagement, preservice teacher development, and integrated literacy instruction.
Angela Curfman and Melesa Swartz
Project Title: “Read Like a Scientist: Investigating the World Through Literacy”
The 2025 SLP Service Project Grant successfully culminated in a family-centered afterschool caregiver event on April 9. This STREAM-focused initiative was designed to strengthen literacy development through authentic scientific inquiry while empowering caregivers to support critical thinking at home.
Held at a local elementary school, the event was facilitated by West Liberty University faculty and preservice teachers and brought families together to experience literacy and science as interconnected ways of understanding the world. The evening began with an interactive read‑aloud of Ada Twist, Scientist, which modeled key comprehension strategies such as questioning, predicting, and making text-to-world connections. Caregivers and children were encouraged to “read and think like scientists” as they explored how curiosity drives learning.
Following the read‑aloud, families rotated through a series of hands‑on STREAM activity stations intentionally designed to promote observation, analysis, and evidence‑based reasoning. Preservice teachers guided each station using carefully crafted prompts and mentor texts, supporting inquiry‑based conversations and modeling instructional practices aligned with disciplinary literacy and science learning.
The event concluded with the distribution of literacy take‑home kits, which included a copy of Ada Twist, Scientist and age‑appropriate science tools, extending learning beyond the event and into participants’ homes. This experience exemplifies how SLP grant funding can meaningfully support family engagement, preservice teacher development, and integrated literacy instruction.