Literacy for ME: Community Literacy Teams

A cornerstone of the Literacy for ME plan is the Maine Department of Education's commitment to assisting local Maine communities develop their own comprehensive literacy plans. 

The first step is for communities to establish their literacy planning teams. The Maine DOE encourages Maine schools or school systems to take the lead by forming a team representative of their community.  Community partners are urged to contact school systems if interested in serving on or leading a team. 

Community Literacy Planning Tool Collection

To assist Community Literacy Teams with the process of constructing and implementing a comprehensive literacy plan, the Maine DOE has compiled a collection of tools to support the different phases of the planning process.  The tools in this collection are organized by the phases of the planning process, and each includes a brief description of this use. 

Comprehensive Community Literacy Planning Guide
  • Literacy for ME Regional Community Literacy Workshop. The PowerPoint used in workshops presented to introduce the Literacy for ME initiative and to assist communities in beginning to develop comprehensive literacy plans. (PPT, 7.85MB | PDF, 1.1MB) 
  • Literacy for ME Workshop Materials Packet (DOC) is a collection of activities utilized in the regional workshops for community literacy teams.
  • 2012 Legacies Now Community Literacy Planning Guide is comprehensive community literacy planning guide based on the 2010 Legacies Now Community Literacy initiative in British Columbia, Canada.
  • Simple Steps: A Workbook to Help You Plan a Community Literacy Project (PDF) is a workbook that walks through the steps involved in planning a specific community literacy project. Concepts can be easily transferred to community literacy plan development.
Literacy Team Formation

View this web page which covers the following topics: 

  • Potential Community Literacy Team Members. A list of ideas for potential community members to include on a Community Literacy Team. 
  • Norms for Team Work. A list of generic norms for Community Literacy Team work. 
  • Initial Meeting Guidance. A list of key questions to address during the initial Community Literacy Team meetings as well as a planning checklist for these meetings.
  • Literacy Reflections Introductory Activity. An opening activity for team members that encourages them to connect with a quote about literacy and share that connection with other team members.
  • Spheres of Influence. This activity helps team members define their individual roles related to the Literacy for ME initiative and how their roles can contribute.
Developing a Vision
  • View this link to a list of 4 activities teams can use to develop their vision for community literacy. 
Community Literacy Profiles & Inventories
  • Literacy for ME Needs Assessment (DOC, 269 KB). A comprehensive tool for conducting a community literacy profile and inventory of literacy resources. 
  • 2010 Legacies Now Asset Inventory (XLS). Tools for organizing literacy assets and for examining them to determine literacy strength and needs within the community.
Goal Setting
  • Consensus-Building Activity (RTF, 84KB). This activity helps teams determine the priority goals for their community literacy plan.
  • Mind Maps (PDF, 95KB). This activity is a process for developing objectives that support the goals of the community literacy plan.
Action Planning
  • Literacy for ME Community Literacy Action Planning Template (DOC). An action planning template for community literacy teams to use to craft their plans.
  • Literacy for ME Community Literacy Matrices. A tool that maps out key steps to engage in across the development and implementation of a comprehensive literacy plan. The matrices are organized by essential components of comprehensive literacy planning.
  • Decoda Literacy Solutions. A wide range of community literacy team planning resources developed in British Columbia, Canada. Sample community action plans can be viewed.

Webinar Recordings for Community Literacy Teams

In an effort to support the ongoing planning work of community literacy teams, the MDOE recorded webinars focused on various aspects of community literacy planning over a period of several years.  These webinars can still be accessed to help support the work of teams.  

Contact

For more information contact the Maine DOE's Director of Early Learning Lee Anne Larsen.