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The legacy of Shelby Anne Wolf, former professor in the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), continues in the literacy education through recent awards and scholarships.

We are proud to announce that the American Educational Research Association (AERA) will award the 2018 Shelby Wolf AERA Literature SIG Award for Outstanding Dissertation in Literature to CU Boulder alumna Kim Schmidt. Schmidt received her PhD in 2016 from the CU Boulder School of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in literacy, and her dissertation was focused on how fifth-graders use digital tools, such as Google Apps, to do literary critique and how digital tools affect the collaboration process among students. She is now an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Denver.

Wolf was a beloved colleague and mentor to many, and she died in 2013. This biannual AERA award honors her legacy in literature and literacy education by giving recognition to a doctoral student whose research gives a substantial contribution to literature learning and teaching.

The Shelby Anne Wolf Scholarship Fund

To further honor Wolf’s legacy, the Shelby Anne Wolf Scholarship fund was established to provide flexible support to the School of Education Literacy Program. We are seeking  contributions that will ultimately support prospective teachers who can effectively weave literature, drama and the arts in their future classrooms, as she had envisioned. Our goal is to surpass $25,000 in order to establish an endowed scholarship supporting students who are first-generation university students.

“Shelby Wolf was unsurpassed in her love of children’s literature and her ability to communicate that passion to others through her writing and teaching,” said Elfrieda H. Hiebert. “I am confident that, through her students and writing, Shelby’s legacy will live on as teachers and parents introduce their children to the wonders of children’s literature.”

Continuing the legacy...

Wolf spent twenty years as a professor in the School of Education and was particularly dedicated to supporting and mentoring first-generation university students.

“Today and into the years ahead, I feel sure [Shelby] would expect nothing less of us than that we move ahead as she did — to support, cheer, challenge, and promote learning and to forever be thankful for the precious gifts of good teachers and teaching,” said Shirley Brice Heath.

A few highlights of Wolf’s accomplished career include:  

• The publication of The Braid of Literature (1992) with mentor and collaborator, Shirley Brice Heath. This scholarly, yet accessible, work chronicles Shelby’s exploration of books with her daughters, Lindsey and Ashley.

• The publication of Interpreting Literature with Children (2004).

• University of Colorado President’s Teaching Scholar Award (2006), the University’s highest recognition of excellence in teaching and research.  

• Lead editor of the Handbook of Research on Children’s and Young Adult Literature (2011).

• A decade-long effort to link the collections of Tate Modern Museum with children and artists in some of the neediest of schools in London (2003-2013).

Wolf will forever be cherished as a beloved mother, dear friend and family member, an esteemed colleague and accomplished scholar. Yet, it was especially in the classroom and other professional venues where Wolf’s magic took hold. Her dramatic, impassioned presentations inspired prospective and practicing teachers to improve their craft through the use of literature, drama, and the arts to help students extend their sense of self and better understand the human condition. She enacted a vision of what is possible and desirable in our classrooms.

Share Your Stories and Memories

Wolf taught and inspired thousands of students, many who have remarked, “Shelby is the reason I became a teacher.” We invite you to share your favorite memories of Shelby Wolf on our Facebook page: