Phi Kappa Phi is proud to recognize Beatriz Gomez Acuña, a recipient of the 2024 Literacy Grant, for her work in establishing a mentorship-based literacy program in partnership with Fenton High School and Elmhurst University.

The program will support literacy development among adolescent students preparing for college. The initiative will pair 40 Hispanic/Latino students, who are not currently meeting grade-level literacy standards, with Elmhurst student mentors. Many of these students face challenges such as limited resources due to socioeconomic status or socio-emotional disengagement.

Over the 2024 fall semester of, mentors and mentees plan to meet virtually at least once a month to build relationships and discuss “Voces sin Fronteras: Our Stories, Our Truth”, a collection of graphic memoirs of young Latin American immigrants to the United States. Through this reading, participants will explore themes of identity, belonging, and social justice in a supportive environment.

In April 2025, the program will culminate in an all-day seminar at Elmhurst in celebration of National Poetry Month. High school students will meet their mentor in person and take part in various activities focused on poetry appreciation and creation. A featured workshop on blackout poetry will guide students in crafting their own pieces, which will have the opportunity to be displayed in a final showcase.

Acuña emphasized the importance of lifelong learning in her approach to the project, stating, “To ‘Learn Forward,’ I embrace lifelong learning, stay open-minded, adapt and innovate, and continue teaching and mentoring.”

The Phi Kappa Phi Literacy Grant Program awards up to $2,500 to Phi Kappa Phi chapters and individual members to fund literacy initiatives. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2025.

For more information, visit phikappaphi.org/literacy or contact Kelli Partin at kpartin@phikappaphi.org.