Kids love to read comic books, and they also love to create them. The Comic Book Project puts children in the role of creators, not merely receivers of information. Children forge a pathway to literacy that is different from what they might do during the school day by writing, designing and publishing original comic books. They are encouraged to write and draw about their personal experiences and interests.
The Comic Book Project is an arts-based literacy and learning initiative hosted by Teachers College, Columbia University, with materials published by Dark Horse Comics. Developed by Michael Bitz, Senior Research Associate at Columbia University’s Teachers College, the project began in 2002 as a grassroots movement in the after-school community of New York City. That year, more than 700 children at 33 after-school sites created comic books, with the support of three organizations: TASC, the Partnership for After-School Education, and the Youth Development Institute at the Fund for the City of New York.
The Comic Book Project engages children in a creative process that leads to reinforcement of literacy skills, social awareness, and character development. Kids’ work is published and distributed for other children in the community to use as learning and motivational tools. TASC recruits after-school programs to incorporate the project and arranges for front-line staff to be trained on the curriculum. Kids then work individually or collaboratively to produce comics. All comic books are displayed on the project’s website. A select number are published in an anthology and distributed to schools across the nation. For more information, please visit The Comic Book Project website.
