UT Tyler Seeks Participants for Community Literacy Project
Program Aims to Enhance Early Childhood Literacy in East Texas
TYLER, Texas (August 4, 2026) – The University of Texas at Tyler is seeking participants for the 2026- 27 Parent-Powered Literacy Project to promote early childhood literacy in East Texas.
Conducted in partnership with Chapel Hill Independent School District, Longview Independent School District and UT Tyler’s K-16 Literacy Center, this initiative is designed to enhance parent capacity for nurturing early language and literacy development in children from birth to age four.
“Neuroscience research highlights the critical role of early brain development, especially during infancy and early childhood,” said project director Dr. Kouider Mokhtari, the UT Tyler Anderson Vukelja-Wright Endowed Professor and K-16 Literacy Center director. “Enriched home environments, quality caregiving and educational stimulation significantly impact young children’s developmental learning outcomes.”
Participating families will receive various benefits, including parent education to enhance skills in supporting early language and literacy development at home, a start-up literacy resource kit with tools for early literacy activities, a monthly children’s book to encourage reading, ongoing support to boost children’s literacy skills and online access to early learning resources.
The program is offered at no cost to the first 25 participants who register by Monday, Sept. 1, and parent participants will be involved through January 2027. To register or for more information, contact program coordinator Dr. Leann Nash, lnash@uttyler.edu or 903.566.7016, or Mokhtari, kmokhtari@uttyler.edu or 903.566.7177.
“We are thrilled to once again partner with The University of Texas at Tyler on the Parent-Powered Literacy Project,” said Lamond Dean, Chapel Hill ISD superintendent. “This project aligns with our mission to engage, educate and empower families, the community and school staff with resources and partnerships that support the academic and personal growth of all students.”
“This project empowers parents by equipping them with the tools to enrich early language and literacy environments at home, thus preparing their children for school readiness,” said Dr. Jacqueline Burnett, director of early childhood and K-2 parent engagement at Longview ISD.
The UT Tyler K-16 Literacy Center is an educational unit operated by the university’s School of Education. The center focuses on strengthening literacy instruction and improving academic achievement outcomes of K-16 students at the university, school and community levels. To learn more, visit uttyler.edu.
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 11,500 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.