The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has opened the Stritch Family Literacy Center, which supports literacy development among local elementary and middle school students.

The now-shuttered Cardinal Stritch University previously housed the program. After Cardinal Stritch closed in 2023, UWM faculty offered to move the program to UWM’s Children’s Learning Center, according to a Tuesday news release.

The Stritch Family Literacy Center offers individualized learning plans and private tutoring sessions for students with literacy challenges. This spring, the program’s first 15-week session will support 24 elementary and middle school students.

“The depth of the program makes it stand out from other tutoring programs in the area,” said Mary Kellner, the president of the board of the Stritch Family Literacy Center. “We do a thorough assessment that pinpoints the exact skill sets the child may be lacking, such as phonics or reading comprehension. Then master instructors zero in on those skills.”