- Yearlong Mentoring
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Our School Literacy and Culture department offers several mentoring programs with a duration lasting from one to three years. These intensive programs feature monthly seminars, classroom visits, and personalized support from an experienced mentor teacher.
SLC’s Classroom Storytelling program is inspired by Vivian Paley’s storytelling and story acting work. The project combines early literacy research and classroom practice with mentoring and seminar discussions in a yearlong training program.
Early Literacy Leadership Academy
The Early Literacy Leadership Academy (ELLA) is a rigorous two year certificate program designed to bring together early childhood professionals from public, private and charter school settings who are committed to serving as teacher leaders from their classrooms. Teachers selected to participate in ELLA experience a unique combination of three semesters of monthly seminars and mentored learning plus one semester of independent study, with all four semesters supported by online learning. Participating ELLA teachers will also join in an exclusive two day summer institute in their first year of programming followed by the opportunity to teach at Creative Writing Camp their second summer in the program.
Reading, Writing and Reasoning
This yearlong program utilizes a combination of monthly seminars at Rice University and ongoing classroom-based mentoring to provide teachers of 2nd to 5th grade a “deep dive” into best practices in literacy education for 21st century learners.
- Weeklong Institutes
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Our School Literacy and Culture department offers institutes during the summer. These weeklong programs provide early childhood and elementary teachers the opportunity to refocus skills, learn the latest research and obtain hands-on experience with contemporary best practices in early childhood literacy education.
In this weeklong institute, early childhood teachers rethink their reading and writing practices in light of new research trends. Join a community of teachers committed to thinking deeply about best literacy practices and bring home hundreds of classroom ideas. Participants in our Classroom Storytelling Project are encouraged to enroll in this Summer Institute, which reinforces and deepens the learning of the school-year sessions.
- Daylong Summits
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School Literacy and Culture offers school leaders and teachers multiple opportunites to gather for daylong summits throughout the academic year. These daylong programs, hosted at Rice University, bring early literacy educators together in a collaborative environment, featuring keynote speakers, breakout sessions and hands-on workshops.
Fall Early Literacy Summit
Join School Literacy and Culture on the Rice University campus for our 22nd annual Early Literacy Summit. During this one-day gathering, early childhood professionals will reconnect and explore research-based, developmentally appropriate play-based practices that promote higher-order thinking in young children, foster high-quality teacher/children interactions and nurture socio-emotional development in children.
More information coming soon.
Winter Early Literacy Summit
Join School Literacy and Culture on the Rice University campus for our 23rd annual Early Literacy Summit in early 2024. During this one-day gathering, early childhood professionals will explore ways to foster high-quality teacher/child interaction, create classroom environments that stimulate higher-order thinking, and foster socio-emotional development in children.
More information coming soon.
- Parent and Teacher Workshops
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Our School Literacy and Culture department offers an extensive catalog of parent and teacher workshops that address the needs of young learners from toddlers through 2nd grade.
Learn More - Summer Series
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A variety of courses will be available, including live and on-demand content, as well as two book studies based on the latest research in child development and best practices in early childhood learning.
Learn More - OWL Lab
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The Rice Oral & Written Language Laboratory (OWL Lab) was established in 2011 at the Gabriela Mistral Center for Early Childhood located in the heart of Houston’s Gulfton community, serving a diverse population of more than 350 three- and four-year old preschoolers and their families. The goal of the lab is to provide preschool children with the opportunity to develop their oral and written language skills through extended conversation in a language-rich learning environment where children’s words are valued and their stories shared.
Learn More

Creative Writing Camp for K-12 Students
We live in a creative world where ideas, collaboration, and adaptability are a must–and writing is essential. So how do we prepare our children for their future? How do we ensure that they become thoughtful leaders for change, passionate learners, and curious thinkers we need to improve our world? Through Creative Writing Camp, young people discover the power within themselves – to create, innovate, and connect with others.
Learn MoreSubscribe to learn more about how you can get involved.
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