MC-CPSD partnership enhances culturally responsive literacy at Northside School

MC students in the Multicultural Classroom helped youngsters at Northside Elementary School 'travel across cultures through literature' with this visual display.

Students in the Multicultural Classroom at Mississippi College partnered with the Clinton Public School District to deliver a service-learning project during spring 2026 that helped promote literacy while celebrating cultural diversity.

Integrated within the national “Read Across America Week” program, the partnership’s “Read Across the World” initiative at Northside Elementary School in Clinton combined literacy promotion with culturally responsive support for English Learner students.

The collaborative team of MC students working under faculty guidance and Northside administrators and teachers designed and assembled materials that balanced educational purpose with creative expression, culminating in a large visual installation displayed within the school.

Ashley Krason, MC senior instructor in the Department of Modern Languages, said by working directly with educators to create culturally responsive resources, the project illustrated the value of university-school partnerships in supporting inclusive and globally minded learning environments.

“The Multicultural Classroom is for students who are seeking their ESL (English as a Second Language) certificate so they can teach non-native speakers, and Clinton has a great ESL program,” Krason said. “Three of the largest language populations in the district are Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese, but children in these groups may not share their heritage with others in their general education classes.”

By introducing global perspectives within a familiar literacy celebration, the initiative encouraged curiosity, empathy and respect for cultural differences at an early age.

The team developed a multifaceted initiative centered on global literacy and representation. The project included recordings of student-created book readings, culturally themed book markers and stickers, and a visual installation that featured an airplane surrounded by international flags. Each component was intentionally designed to reinforce the theme of traveling across cultures through literature.

A central goal of the initiative was to ensure that EL students saw their identities reflected in the educational materials. By incorporating diverse cultural symbols and stories, the project supported both literacy development and student belonging. It also addressed a broader educational need: cultivating cultural appreciation across the entire student body.

Wenjun Chen, an MC student from Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China, found the initiative to be especially rewarding.

“Working on this project helped me better understand the needs of EL students and the importance of culturally inclusive materials,” said Chen, a first-year Master of Arts in English student who read and recorded a book on the Chinese Spring Festival and edited two other book recording videos for the project. “I enjoyed creating the materials because it made me feel I could help students learn more about different cultures. It was also rewarding to know that our work might support their understanding and appreciation of diversity.

“It is especially important for EL students because it allows them to see diverse perspectives and feel represented in learning materials. These experiences can help students become more open-minded and confident in their learning, which is valuable for their long-term academic growth.”

For 12 years, MC has collaborated with the Clinton Public School District on service-learning projects that have contributed to the education of students at Eastside, Northside and Clinton Park Schools.

“It’s a blessing whenever the University can join together with the school district to meet a specific need in the community” Krason said. “That’s important to model for our students. When you’re 19 or 20, you may not really know how to serve others, and you can’t know if you’re serving well unless you’re answering a need that has been expressed.

“This project helped them identify a need, develop a plan to help meet that need and execute that plan. Everyone around us is an image bearer of God. To value them and to give them respect and a space to be heard and seen is something we couldn’t ignore.”