Literacy – Spanning the US: Illinois :: Montgomery Co, MD :: Washington DC

Literacy:  Spanning the U.S.

Literacy Volunteers student honored for her efforts

North Aurora resident receives Spotlight on Achievement award

My Suburban Life: 6.10.2014 by Eric Schelkopf

When Thu Tran said that when she arrived in North Aurora in 2009 from Vietnam, she didn't even know enough English to order lunch at a Subway restaurant.

But thanks to Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley, she said her English is getting better and better. The St. Charles nonprofit organization provides free, one-to-one literacy tutoring to adults.

In recognition of her efforts, Tran, 35, was one of 10 students statewide who recently received a 2014 Spotlight on Achievement award. The award was presented by Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White, along with Dennis DeRossett, executive director of the Illinois Press Association.

"I was very honored to meet them," Tran said. "I'm very appreciative of the honor."

Literacy Volunteers tutor Mary Sterner of St. Charles, who has been working with Tran for the last couple of months, also said she was proud of Tran's success. Tran's tutoring sessions have been held at Batavia Public Library and Messenger Public Library in North Aurora.  READ MORE !

Literacy at the Library: Montgomery County Literacy Council Helps New Immigrants Improve Language Skills

Asian Fortune News: 6.26.2014 by Jenny Chen

It’s Saturday morning and Quince Orchard Library is bustling. Kids dressed in their karate uniforms are running around, stopping occasionally to look at the pictures in Flora and Ulysses or tapping out a game at the computer section. High school students are studying for SATs in between catching up and going for iced coffee runs at the nearby Dunkin’ Donuts.

But nestled amid all this activity are pairs of adults, talking quietly at the rows of tables next to the cooking and home improvement section and flipping through the reference section dictionaries. Saturday is a popular day for Literacy Council tutor and tutees to meet, and Quince Orchard Library is a popular spot.

The Literacy Council tutoring program has been around for 51 years. It gives adults free one-on-one English instruction, pairing adult students up with adult literacy volunteers who have been trained in the Literacy Council’s programs. The need is great — the current average wait-list time for the tutoring program is three to six months.  READ MORE !

Congressional Baseball Game Helps D.C. Adults Get Second Chance at Washington Literacy Center

Roll Call: 6.20.2014 by Bridget Bowman

Latisha Powell pointed to a paper pinned to the bulletin board on the bright blue wall and said, “When I came here, I couldn’t write that essay.”

Powell, 46, was once one of the thousands of adults in the District who do not have basic reading skills.

But after several months at the Washington Literacy Center, Powell was able to write that essay, about mothers, which began: “Don’t be ashamed.”

Shaking off the shame that comes with being functionally illiterate is a common experience for the 100 adults the WLC serves each year. Most of them do not have a high school diploma, but have completed 10 to 12 years of education.

Donna Snowden, 50, said she used to be embarrassed that she could not read, but she no longer felt alone after she came to the WLC. “I said, ‘Whoa, all of them can’t read either?’ I’m not ashamed no more. That’s what helped me back.”

That sense of camaraderie flows through the classrooms at the WLC, located in the Thurgood Marshall Center just off U Street in Northwest D.C.

The WLC was able to relocate to the center two years ago with help from funds raised by the Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game. Last year, the funds helped the WLC purchase the Wilson Reading System, a teaching technique that breaks down words.  READ MORE !