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Noah Williams is from a family of educators. His mother is a professor at North Carolina State University, his grandfather was a principal in Canada, and his uncle is a teacher in Florida. Williams is a now senior at the University of Mount Olive (UMO) majoring in elementary education.
“A lot of that runs in the family,” he says with a laugh.
He says this as he was sitting in what can be described as a literacy supply room. Books, games, worksheets, dry erase boards, and so much more line the shelves of this stacked reading room.
Next to it is one of UMO’s weekly reading clinics, where Williams is a student worker.
In its second year of existence, the afterschool reading clinic is acting as an intervention, serving local elementary students to help increase reading proficiency while also working as a lab for UMO education majors.
In the 2024-25 school year, 46 local elementary students have received extra attention and tutoring in literacy thanks to the program.
Why does Williams wants to be an educator? He sums it up like this: “I like learning about learning.” This reading clinic is filled UMO students who reflect that same sentiment. The program is a win-win scenario for area elementary students and aspiring teachers.
The makings of a reading clinic
UMO Assistant Dean for Education Dr. Amanda Bullard-Maxwell said the relationship between the university and Duplin County Schools was an easy access point when she and her staff were developing the idea for the reading clinic.
Bullard-Maxwell was already planning on redesigning some of UMO’s classes based on the emergence of the science of reading, and the university had a pre-existing relationship with Duplin County Schools thanks to the Homegrown Teacher Academy. So when she and her staff decided to create the reading clinic, they thought it could give her students the opportunity to practice what they were learning at UMO, while serving local elementary students who needed extra help in literacy.
“It’s beautiful that they’re learning literacy theory in their courses, but then they actually apply it in the clinic,” she said.
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There are two locations for the reading clinic: one at North Duplin Elementary School and the other at UMO. This accommodates transportation barriers for the families of the elementary school students. Another added bonus of having two locations? Parents of students who attend UMO’s reading clinic say that just being on a college campus boosts their confidence.
A relationship with North Duplin Elementary was already in place thanks to the Homegrown Teacher Academy, and four UMO alumni work at the elementary school who are more than happy to mentor up and coming educators in this work.
“They’ve always been receptive and supportive of placing our interns and allowing our students to complete practicums there,” says Bullard-Maxwell.
The majority of the students participating in the clinic are Hispanic. A handful of tutors are bilingual, as is the project coordinator, Kristie Ruiz, which is helpful for students who are working on their English skills. Ruiz is a fourth grade teacher in Sampson County Schools and comes to the program after school lets out.
“She has been a blessing,” says Bullard-Maxwell.
Dr. Ashley Johnson is the project director of the clinic, and ran a similar program at another university. She said, “The UMO Reading Clinic has been transformative for the elementary students who receive personalized literacy support and for our university students who gain invaluable hands-on experience in the field of education. It is a true win-win that shapes futures on both sides.” She is proud to have brought the model to UMO. “Seeing the impact it continues to have in our community is incredibly rewarding,” said Johnson.
While it is mandatory for students at UMO majoring in education to volunteer for the clinic at one point, others in the school have joined as well. The reading clinic has served elementary students for two years, and with its success, UMO is looking to expand.
The program has a one-to-one student-to-tutor ratio, and next year, they may move to a cohort model to reach more students.
“The thing I’ve been most surprised and pleased at is just the impact of relationships,” says Bullard-Maxwell.
As a lifelong educator, she said she knows the value of relationships, but watching them play out and make a difference in students is incredible.
Williams will graduate in the winter of 2025 and is excited that his student teaching is in the area. His time at the clinic is filled with instruction but also fun, connection, and activity. The clinic is helping with literacy and also cultivating relationships.
“If you want to learn how to be a better teacher and learn how to use what’s around you, come here,” says Williams of UMO and the clinic. “As much as the kids are developing, the college students are also developing because they they’re learning how to teach better.”
Editor’s note: The Anonymous Trust supports the work of EducationNC.
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