The Office of Durham and Regional Affairs formed its Education Architecture to help meet the challenges of low student achievement and high teacher turnover in Durham Public Schools. The Afterschool Reading Academy, featured below, is one of the evidence-based programs that form the continuum of the Education Architecture. The other programs and support services will be featured here each month.

"Crack! Crack! Crack! Baby chickens are born."

A chorus of small voices joined that of Janelle Robian, a second-grade teacher at Lakewood Elementary, as she read "Eggs" by Becky Mann.

Ms. Robian held open the large book, slowly dragging her finger under each word. The small group of second-grade students followed along from their own, smaller versions of the book. Sitting alongside the children, on the colorful rug at the front of Ms. Robian's classroom, was a Duke student who helped the children when they paused, or reminded them how an exclamation point is different from a period.

And although it was close to 5:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, the children were engaged, reading words with confidence and plunging their hands into the air when Ms. Robian asked how they think the book got its title.

Robian, the Duke student, and the second-graders were participating in the Afterschool Reading Academy, the newest program in the Education Architecture formed by Duke's Office of Durham and Regional Affairs. Launched in September at E.K. Powe and Lakewood Elementary Schools, the program serves 60 first- and second-grade students who  are behind-grade-level in reading.

"For students, end-of-third-grade reading level is a key indicator of future academic success," said Phail Wynn, Jr., Duke's Vice President for Durham and Regional Affairs. "By offering reading intervention to these students in the first and second grade, we hope to provide the solid foundation of literacy skills that they will need to reach their full academic potential for years to come."

The Afterschool Reading Academy is held two days per week at both E.K. Powe and Lakewood. Each site is led by two teachers, who receive support from a small team of Duke student tutors through the America Reads and Counts program in Duke's Office of Student Community Volunteer Programs.

Read the rest of the story.

See the full Durham and Regional Affairs Education Architecture.
Learn about the other programs in the Education Architecture.

One week remains of Doing Good in the Neighborhood, the annual campaign that makes it easy for Duke employees to make a difference in Durham through community-based philanthropy.

Through Doing Good in the Neighborhood, employees from the university and health system can give to a range of organizations supported by Duke Community Giving and United Way of the Greater Triangle. And this year, donors can make their gift go further through the Community Care Grant program.

Click here or on the video above to hear why Coach Mike Krzyzewski gives every year through Doing Good in the Neighborhood.

Visit us online to learn more about how to give, and to see where your gift makes a difference.

Willie E. Patterson, the leader of Crest Street Community Council since 1975, has announced his retirement from his post next December. Duke's Office of Durham and Regional Affairs got the chance to honor Patterson on November 15, when the Crest Street community hosted staff members and other neighborhood presidents for a Thanksgiving dinner.  Below is a tribute to Patterson by Sam Miglarese, an ally of Patterson's and Duke's Director of Community Engagement.

BY SAM MIGLARESE

As president of Crest Street Community Council, Willie Patterson has served as a trendsetter for community commitment and dedication. Patterson - a graduate of Hillside High and N.C. Central University, a 22-year Air Force veteran, and a former manager of the Duke University Medical Center Labor Union - first began working to enhance quality of life in Crest Street in the 1970s. Patterson worked closely with the late Dr. L.W. Reid, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, to promote housing for neighborhood seniors, safety and security, and youth development.

When the very existence of Patterson's community was threatened by the proposed extension of the Durham Freeway, he led the opposition. Patterson and Reid formed partnerships with Duke University, legal-aid attorneys, and the City of Durham to successfully negotiate with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. For their leadership and courageous advocacy, Reid and Patterson both were awarded the Z. Smith Reynolds Unsung Heroes Award in 1989.

In the years since, Patterson has continued to advocate for Crest Street. He has worked closely with the City of Durham, New Bethel Baptist and Duke University. For the youth of Crest Street, Patterson developed a summer jobs program and co-founded the Crest Street Tutorial Project. To preserve Crest Street's sense of community, Patterson directs annual community days and lobbied for the recreation center that bears his name. Patterson also leads an annual neighborhood clean-up day and works with Duke Energy to keep the local power lines and underbrush in order.

Patterson's list of accomplishments goes on. Duke University salutes Willie Patterson for his many years of service to the U.S. Armed Forces, to Duke University, and to the Crest Street community that is his home. He has advocated for his community for more than 30 years. He is a lion of a leader who has left his mark on Crest Street, Durham, and the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership.

Congratulations, Willie, and best of wishes!

Follow the links below to see how the Office of Durham and Regional Affairs and its partners in Duke community engagement have made headlines.

"Self-Help builds 100th house"
The Herald-Sun, 11/14/10
Self-Help, a long-time partner of Duke, celebrated the construction of its 100th house in the Walltown community.

"Builders of Hope gets attention for New Orleans efforts"
Bull City Rising, 11/11/10
Local housing organization Builders of Hope received recognition for a project in New Orleans, even as its efforts in the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership's West End community escalate.

"Green street again"
The Durham News, 11/10/10
Duke students and city workers pitched in to plant new trees along Green Street in the Trinity Heights community, with funding support from Duke's Doing Good in the Neighborhood employee giving campaign.

"Builder may save historic hospital"
The Herald-Sun, 11/9/10
Partner neighborhood Trinity Park, with Preservation Durham, made strides in convincing a developer to preserve an historic building on the edge of the neighborhood.

"At Duke University, an experiment in community health care"
The Washington Post, 11/6/10
Duke University Health System has received national attention for its established efforts to promote community health by providing care for low-income patients.

"School Days: A Taste of College"
Duke Today, 11/1/10
Almost 300 eighth-graders from Durham Public Schools visited Duke's campus in October to visit dormitories, eat in the dining hall, and see lectures by faculty members. The annual School Days event is meant to encourage the students to plan and strive for post-secondary education.

"Rowing to host annual 'Row for the Cure' fundraiser"
GoDuke.com, 10/19/10
The Duke rowing team held its annual Row for the Cure Ergathon October 21 on Duke University's main quad, to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.