The Community Literacy Program offers UW students an eight-credit combination of linked courses (English 198 and Education 401) in which they work with elementary school children, and do academic reading, research, presentation and writing related to their work in the schools. 

Now in its eighteenth year, the Community Literacy Program (CLP) is part of the "elementary education strand" for students planning to enter the Teacher Education Program in the University of Washington's College of Education.   While many CLP students have gone on to work in education or related fields, this service learning course also appeals to students interested in experiential education, civic responsibility, a small workshop-based course,  or a deeper connection to the Seattle community. 

Students often form strong bonds with the schools where they volunteer.  Many CLP students continue tutoring on their own after the quarter ends through independent study projects, or serve as undergraduate Teaching Assistants and mentor tutors for new CLP students.

CLP students meet on campus twice a week for two hours for the reading, research and writing component of the program.  In the linked service-learning component, volunteer work is scheduled individually by UW students (a minimum of 36 hours per quarter; 4-6 hours per week) in one of the CLP partner elementary schools:  The New School@ Columbia, located in Seattle Public Schools' South Cluster;  Olympic Hills, located in the North Cluster; or Alternative Elementary II (Thornton Creek School) in the Northeast Cluster.  All three partner elementary schools are accessible from the UW campus on Metro buslines, and all sites have volunteer coordinators.