Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Fort Hayes State University Opens Virtual Literacy Center

  • 11/04/19

HAYS, KS – The Department of Teacher Education at Fort Hays State University has developed and opened the Virtual Literacy Center to make the highest quality, cutting edge, scientific-based tutoring services available to the school districts in approximately 25 counties in Northwest Kansas.

Dr. Sarah Miller, assistant professor of teacher education; Dr. Beth Walizer, professor of teacher education; and Hannah Frazer, pre-service teacher/VISTA member, collaborated to develop and pilot the program with USD 407 in Russell, KS.

“In the past, Northwest Kansas has been grossly underserved simply because of logistics and the challenges of physically getting the proper help to the children who need it most,” says Miller. “However, with innovation and technology, the miles between students and tutors has been overcome.”

As literacy professors, both Miller and Walizer have watched young people who struggle with illiteracy encounter roadblocks as they seek to enter post-secondary education, the professional world, or the workforce.

“I have seen first–hand the extremely difficult struggles of children who cannot read,” says Walizer.

The Virtual Literacy Center will equip educators with the latest tools and programs to identify specific reading difficulties in children and develop custom-designed interventions and strategies to help each individual child.

All that is required to use the center is the Internet and a reliable computer with a webcam. These resources can easily be provided by a local school or public library.

If any parent, educator, administrator, or other party is interested in this program or has questions, contact Dr. Sarah Miller at 785/628-4204.

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.