Where arts and literature collide
Remix, reimagine, and breathe new life into literature through arts-infused storytelling.
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OCTOMONO - One Page Menu
Why Literacy Unbound?
Experience the ultimate book clubExplore literature through drama and play, using creative experimentation to spark meaningful conversations around a shared text.
Literacy Unbound brings teachers and students together as creative thinkers and problem-solvers, engaging in exploration and learning that’s relevant, accessible, and meaningful for everyone. |
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Institute Timeline
Mid-June - July 7Once you receive your materials, you can begin preparing for the institute independently by reading this year's text — Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro — and responding to the Invitations to Create we've designed for you.
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July 7-11Players will gather daily at Teachers College, Columbia University from 9am to 4pm to engage in arts-integrated remix, transmedia storytelling, and literary studies while collaborating on a live performance. After the performance, you'll reunite for closing reflections and a chance to say goodbye.
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July 10The institute will culminate with a live performance at Teachers College, Columbia University from 7 - 8:30pm, which allows family and friends to witness this year's creation and speak with players about the creative process. Tickets for the performance will be released at a later date.
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KEY DATES
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What to Expect
Inquisitive high school students will find an outlet for their creativity and curiosity as they collaborate with experts, artists, and teachers to remix literature and co-create a live performance.
Connect to literature in new ways, tapping into your creativity as you read and remix this year's text. Move beyond the page as you explore drama, movement, and more.
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Diversify your perspective as you collaborate alongside high school students and teachers from around the world, creating a unique bond that will last beyond the Institute.
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Expand your talents in reading, reflection, and critical thinking. Acquire transferable skills that will support you when you return to school in the fall.
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Key takeaways
- Engage in reflective reading, using literature remix to step into this year's text
- Access and expand your curiosity, creativity, and imagination alongside professional artists
- Exercise your own artistry as you collaboratively create an live performance with teachers
- Gain critical thinking skills that will support your experiences as a student beyond the institute
What We're Remixing This Year
We'll use Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun to explore humanity in a changing world and discover all the ways in which stories can be unpacked and reimagined.
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“Humans are not easy to understand. They like to hide things, even from themselves."What does it mean to be human? To love? To connect? As generative AI becomes more powerful and pervasive, we wonder (some with enthusiasm, some with worry) about where we might be going — in schools, in the workplace, in society as a whole. Kazuo Ishiguro imagines one possible future, a world in which teenagers have Artificial Friends (AFs) as companions. When he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017, Ishiguro was cited as a writer "who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world." In Klara and the Sun, he continues to expose that abyss, calling into question what it means to be human and — perhaps inevitably — what it means to connect, even to love. So what happens when we put Klara and the Sun in conversation with historical texts, philosophical texts, contemporary fiction and poetry, current events? What do we learn? What new issues surface? This is what we will explore together.
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Meet Your Facilitators
Our facilitators — alongside guest teaching artists — push the boundaries of traditional reading and writing, helping teachers craft innovative instruction that inspires students to engage deeply with literature.
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Dr. Adele Bruni Ashley
Director, Literacy Unbound Adele is a lecturer in the English Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She taught English for grades 8-12 at the New York City Lab School, founding the Lab Theatre Company (LTC) in 2007. Prior to public school teaching, she received her M.F.A. in acting from the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program (PATP), where she taught undergraduate theatre. As an educator, she is interested in structuring classroom spaces as laboratories for imaginative exploration and creation.
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Dr. Jen Gowers
Associate Director, Literacy Unbound Jen has served in New York City public and public charter education for more than 18 years. She has expertise in managing principals, assistant superintendents, and network teams, teaching young people in elementary school through graduate school, facilitation, curriculum design, instruction, professional development and assessment practices, as well as experience building and sustaining schools and networks from PreK-12. Jen is passionate about working in solidarity to positively transform systems, to develop individual capacity and potential, and to make a brighter and better society.
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Submit Your Application
An ideal student candidate for our 2025 Institute will be in grades 9-12 in the fall of 2025, and has a curiosity for literature, the desire to grow as a creator, and the ability to bring an open mind and collaborative spirit to our unique creative process.
All applications are due by 11:59PM EST on March 28; payment ($100) for selected applicants is due by April 18. There is no fee due at the time of applying. You can preview application questions here. Still have questions? Check out our FAQ page or contact us at [email protected].
All applications are due by 11:59PM EST on March 28; payment ($100) for selected applicants is due by April 18. There is no fee due at the time of applying. You can preview application questions here. Still have questions? Check out our FAQ page or contact us at [email protected].
