Abstract
Teacher preparation programs typically depend on fieldwork experiences in classrooms to prepare pre-service teachers and fail to utilize other spaces for helpful pedagogical shaping. The potential value from participation in a community-based organization ? especially one grounded in educational endeavors ? for future teachers is worthy of explicit analysis and articulation, yet almost ignored in current scholarship and practice. How can a community based literacy program support pre-service teachers in teacher training? This research project will examine the potential value of participation in community-based organizations for training pre-service teacher candidates and contribute to current scholarship. It will explore which contexts or spaces provide pre-service teachers with helpful, culturally relevant learning opportunities. Specifically, the project will work with 826LA, a nonprofit community-based literacy organization, as a case study for analysis and data collection through eighteen interviews with staff members, students, parents, and teachers who are closely involved with 826LA.
