Paisley Sports Literacy Program

Last Session 2017

The Paisley Sports Literacy Program is a mentoring program and after-school club for middle school boys with an interest in sports. The program was started in 2016 by Dr. Alan Brown, Wake Forest student and football co-captain Wendell Dunn, and Paisley English teacher Bailey Allman.

The 2023/2024 Paisley Sports Literacy Program meets at Paisley IB Magnet School in Winston-Salem, NC, and is led by Dr. Alan Brown and student-athletes Quincy Bryant, Dashawn Jones, Demond Claiborne, Horatio Fields, and Jamare Glasker. The program is sponsored by Paisley Assistant Principal Nichole Harris. To learn more about a special group of student-athletes who re-started the program after the COVID-19 pandemic, please read The Paisley 7 by Dr. Alan Brown.

The primary goals of the Paisley Sports Literacy Program include:

to support youth through academic, social, and community engagement,
to empower students who are interested in sports to read and write for enjoyment,
to explore social issues that affect the lives of adolescents and young adults through culturally-relevant literature,
to improve literacy skills and practices that support learning across content areas and promote college and career readiness.

Over the years, the program has included support from university partners including former Wake Forest Assistant Dean of University Collaborations Dr. Donovan Livingston and Wake Forest student-athletes, including Wendell Dunn, Caelen Carson, Jahmal Banks, Quincy Bryant, DaShawn Jones, Jaylen Hudson, Isaiah Chaney, Ke’Shawn Williams, Tony Jones, Michael Allen, Evan Simmons, Gerald Davis, Jr., Jaquarii Roberson, and Kyle McKenzie.

The Paisley Sports Literacy Program has been supported by Wake Forest University’s Department of Education, Wake Forest Athletics, and Wake Forest University’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement. Initial grant funding was received from Winston-Salem Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Initiative and Boston Thurmond Community Engagement Roundtable. Many other individuals and groups have also supported the program, and we are thankful for each one.

Media Coverage and Publications related to the Paisley Sports Literacy Program:

The Paisley 7: How Wake Forest University Athletes Brought New Life to a Middle School Literacy Program by Alan Brown (edNC)

5 Things to Know about Cowboys’ Caelen Carson, Including Mentoring Youth through Literacy (The Dallas Morning News)

Jahmal Banks is Getting the Full College Experience on the Football Field and Off It for Wake Forest by John Dell (Winston-Salem Journal)

Sports Literacy, Community Dialogue, and Critical Reflection by Donovan Livingston and Alan Brown (JoLLE Scholars Speak Out)

Sports Talk, Free Snacks, Good Books: The Paisley Sports Literacy Program by Alan Brown (YA Wednesday Blog)

“Wake Forest Football – Etiquette Dinner 2017” (video) by Wake Forest Athletics

“Helping Middle Schoolers Become ‘Contenders’” by Cheryl Walker (Wake Forest News)

“After-school Club Entices Kids with a Mix of Reading and Sports” by Arika Herron (Winston-Salem Journal)

“Becoming a Contender” by Kim Underwood (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools)

The Contender 50th Anniversary Celebration and Reception at Paisley IB Magnet School

Information about Past Sports Literacy Programs: