Sheard Literacy Center

Have you ever wondered what was taking place in the Sheard Literacy Center? Depending on the time and day, you might witness students heading to an education class, teachers from area schools in the North Country heading upstairs for a professional development session, or young children racing from the bus to the Literacy Center to attend the community mentoring outreach program. The Literacy Center, with its varied approaches to improving literacy in the North Country, is quite complex. To discover the many genres of the Literacy Center, you must experience the history and current activity of the Center.

History of the Sheard Literacy Center

In the early 1970's, Potsdam College established the Reading Center in Satterlee Hall. The purpose of the Center was to match college students' needs for experience with elementary students' reading needs. The program was informally named the Reading Clinic. Many students from northern New York benefited from this program for over 20 years.

In 2002, the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association received a bequest from former teacher Rebecca V. Sheard, who graduated from the Potsdam Normal School in 1916. Rebecca Sheard believed that you should support one or two things that are close to your heart. The Alumni Association honored Rebecca's philanthropy by making a gift to the campus to renovate the Literacy Center. The gift allowed the college to leverage a state matching grant to fund the renovation of the Literacy Center.

Our Mission

The Literacy Center's mission is to provide literacy education to the greater Northern New York communities, resources and educational support for teachers and parents on issues of literacy education across the curriculum, and state-of-the-art classrooms for the School of Education faculty who teach literacy courses and other courses that integrate literacy into the curriculum. In addition, the Literacy Center houses and maintains partnerships with projects that promote leadership and research on current issues, pedagogy, and curriculum in literacy education.

Rebecca V. Sheard Literacy Center Staff

Thomas E. O'Shaughnessy Center for Assistive Technology

Northern New York Early Childhood Direction Center (ECDC)
Located in the Sheard Literacy Center

Sheard Literacy Center
SUNY Potsdam
Satterlee Hall 104
Potsdam, NY 13676
315-267-2509

The Center follows the academic calendar of SUNY Potsdam: When classes are in session, the Center is open. Patrons of the Center are welcome Monday through Thursday, 9:00am-9:00pm, and Friday, 9:00am-3:00pm. The Center may be used by appointment at other times. If you are interested in scheduling a time to use the Sheard Literacy Center, please contact Tina Bush at bushtm@potsdam.edu or 315-267-3492.

Funding

The Sheard Literacy Center operates on a year-round basis. Funding for the center is accomplished through minimal state funding, with additional funding being provided by the following: contributions from SUNY Potsdam alumni, faculty, staff, and friends; various one-time grants from local businesses and foundations, including Corning, Alcoa, and National Grid (formerly Niagara-Mohawk); and a one-time grant from SUNY Potsdam's Student Government Association. The college funds two graduate assistants to plan and implement the mentor program as well as the day to day facilitation of the Center. The America Reads Porgram provides federal work study dollars for tutors in the schools and assistance with the facilitation of the mentor program. Federal work study dollars also contribute to staffing of the Center. A group of 20 students staff the Center on a regular basis.

Programming at the Center

Many programs are facilitated within the Literacy Center, allowing for its mission to be accomplished. These programs would not be possible without the support of many, including college faculty and staff, community members, local school districts, graduate assistants, work study students, volunteers, and specialty programs. The origination of the Rebecca V. Sheard Literacy Center can be directly attributed to the efforts of Dr. Linda Seramur, the grant writer, Dr. Lynn Hall, the original director, and Dr. William Amoriell, the dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies. Below is a brief overview of the many programs facilitated through the Center.