Strong literacy skills are the foundation for lifelong learning, academic success, and future opportunities, and at Cultural & Community Engagement, they guide much of what we do. Literacy becomes a bridge across generations, whether it’s young learners gaining confidence through reading with UServeUtah’s Foster Grandparents, or high school volunteers helping kindergartners practice reading and study skills.

Through programs such as America’s Field Trip and A250 Utah’s educational resources, students engage with history and develop reading and writing skills that encourage reflection and creative thinking. StoryCon, a national conference celebrating readers, writers and the power of story, and the Utah Historical Society’s Women’s History Month events extend these opportunities. Across  these initiatives, literacy remains at the heart of learning, community engagement, and preparing the next generation of Utah leaders.

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox’s literacy initiative focuses on practical ways to elevate reading skills of the state’s students. CCE’s UServeUtah division is building literacy skills through its trained Foster Grandparent volunteers, who provide one-on-one coaching in local schools.

“Grandma Sandra has made a meaningful difference for our students,” one Utah principal noted, underscoring the volunteer’s patience, kindness and reliability. The program currently serves schools in nine counties, while UServe is seeking volunteers in these four counties; Salt Lake, Emery, Grand, and San Juan.

Utah State Library Division Brings Literacy Resources to StoryCon

Utah State Library participated in StoryCon, a book festival and writing conference on Feb. 27–28 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Through booth activities and bookmobile tours, Utah State Library Division participated in the event, hosted by the Utah nonprofit Operation Literacy, where teens and tweens were inspired by acclaimed authors and hands-on workshops, and young readers found joy in Story Land. The Utah State Library Division part of CCE,  also connected communities with literacy resources, including rural bookmobiles services, programs for the Blind & Disabled, Utah Kids Ready to Read, and library training and  grant opportunities.

The Utah Historical Society recognizes Women’s History Month in March with programs, stories, educational programs, and events with partners throughout the state. One remarkable story comes from Kanab history: On Nov. 7, 1911, voters elected the state’s first all-female elected town council as something of a joke. However, Tamar Hamblin, Luella McAllister, Blanche Hamblin, Vinnie Jepson, and Mary Chamberlain dug in to serve. In their two-year term, the council transformed the town, while collectively raising 36 children, three of whom were born while their politician mothers were in office.

On a visit led by Lt. Deidre Henderson, Escalante High School students reported on their Volunteer for Good experience. High school students read and studied flashcards with kindergartners. The impact went both ways: Not only did the elementary students improve their reading fluency according to their test scores, but the high school students also saw remarkable growth. The teen volunteers jumped from 40% to 80% in reading comprehension. In addition, at the start of the program, 37% of volunteers were reading below grade level; at the end of the program it was only 9%. This is powerful evidence of service strengthening both those who receive assistance, as well as volunteers providing it.

America’s Field Trip invites students to share what America means through writing or artwork, with entries due by March 30. Across the nation, 250 students will be honored with behind-the-scenes field trips to iconic historic or cultural landmarks and cash prizes. In addition, America250 Utah — an initiative managed by CCE — provides classroom resources and supports local community events. 

Utah Main Street, a program of CCE’s State Historic Preservation Office, recently recognized six communities for excellence in volunteerism, preservation and design, leadership and business innovation. Award highlights included: an innovative dog-themed event in Ogden attracting 11,700 people; the restoration of Helper’s Newhouse Hotel; and Vernal’s Market on Main, launching a creative hub supporting more than 90 vendors. Logan’s Kristan Fjeldsted, Murray’s Jenn Kikel-Lynn and Price’s Kari Richardson were honored for dedicated volunteer work. The awards, presented on Feb. 4 at the Utah State Capitol, celebrate the creativity and community spirit that keep Utah’s Main Streets vibrant.

Construction at Alta Ski Resort last summer uncovered building foundations and hundreds of artifacts. That prompted a three-week excavation led by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office’s public archaeology team, mobilizing some 50 volunteers from the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship program. Among the intriguing artifacts from the dig include bullets, animal bones, a 150-year-old miner’s hat, and a fully intact bottle of alcohol. New details about Alta’s history as a silver mining boom town in the 1870s has been showcased at two well-attended recent public events. Mining artifacts will be added to the collection at the new Museum of Utah, which will open in June, to be considered for future exhibitions.

Among the million 150-year-old artifacts found were a leather hat, a full bottle of alcohol, dolls, fine china, guns and bullets.

In 2026, we all mark the 250th anniversary of America. As Utah commemorates that milestone, we thought it would be nice to visit with some students and some senior citizens to find out how they feel about being Americans.

A quiet moment that made history unfolded in Utah 156 years ago. On February 14, 1870, a young Utah woman named Seraph Young cast a vote that helped change the course of women’s rights. 

Utah is looking back on its own Olympic legacy and the games that brought the state together in 2002. That story will be on display at the Museum of Utah's newest gallery exhibit, “Inspiring Utah."

Our nine divisions work to achieve the overarching goal of building communities in all corners of the state. The Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement’s annual report explains the priorities of each division and the impact of their programs.

Administration

Donna Law

Executive Director

Katherine Potter

Deputy Director

Contact Us

Donna Law

Donnalaw@utah.gov

Find Us Online

https://community.utah.gov/

The Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement connects people, resources, and ideas to strengthen communities — in communities. By supporting local programs, educational initiatives, and collaborative projects, CCE helps foster meaningful impact, build capacity, and create opportunities for residents to engage and thrive.