Welcome to “It Takes a Village” Project

The Village Project at Elon University empowers K–5 students in Alamance County through hands-on, community-driven programs. From the Big Village’s personalized tutoring in reading and math, to early language development with the Little Village, creative exploration through Summer in the Village, an introduction to music in Music in the Village or STEM learning through Engineering in the Village, and even exposure to medical careers through Start Early in Medicine, our programs work together to build strong academic foundations and spark curiosity.

In partnership with The Oak Foundation, Elon University, ABSS educators, and volunteers, the program supports struggling students to boost academic performance. It emphasizes reading and writing, and has expanded to include math, science, music, and more. Key focus areas include academic outcomes, quality instruction, attendance, parental involvement, and enrichment. For many families, we have become an indispensable resource and the springboard to education opportunities for their children.

Program Overview

The Project recognized from the outset that each of our partners is an equal member contributing to the wholeness of the project. To that end, the Project is designed to:

  • Encourage reading and math in children who struggle and highlight their parents’ contributions toward this endeavor.
  • Emphasize the function schools of education must undertake in shaping preservice teachers’ views of children who struggle with reading or math.
  • Focus on the importance of community and the role universities can play in bridging the gap between institutions of higher learning as well as educational and community organizations.
  • Engage public school teachers as vital stakeholders in the tutoring process and overall academic growth of students.
  • Support parents as they work to contribute to their own child’s educational journey.
  • Provide college and high school students with the opportunity to acquire service-learning hours while giving back to the local community.
“There’s no more important gift that we give to our children than an education. That education changes their life forever and their children’s lives. And I truly believe that if you can read and do mathematics, you can be anything.  It truly is a privilege to witness the learning that’s impacting the lives of these young students as they begin to realize their potential. It’s profound to see those moments when things start to click and when children can read the words, do the math program and you see a door start to open and the future start to unfold.”
— Elon President Connie Ledoux Book