Literacy: Spanning North America - Campbell River BC :: Camden Co NJ :: Lompoc CA

Literacy:  Spanning North America

Volunteers share the precious gift of literacy

Campbell River Mirror: 11.06.2014 by Mike Davies

Literacy is one of the most important skills you have.

It’s the skill that allows you to bring in the majority of the information you receive – outside sensory cues – and it’s the skill that enables you to pass the information you have on to others.

Kat Eddy, Adult Literacy Outreach Coordinator for the Campbell River Literacy Association (CRLA), is hoping it’s also a skill you’d like to help strengthen in others. The CRLA’s adult literacy program is, according to Eddy, for people 19 and older to help them “achieve their own personal literacy goals, whether that be going back to school and upgrading, or maybe they just want more literacy skills to be able to read to their grandchildren, whatever their personal learning plan is, we’re here to support them in that.”

Last year there were over 1700 volunteer hours put in by tutors in the adult literacy program, according to Eddy, but this year, they’re struggling to find enough volunteers to keep up with their growing need.  READ MORE !

Camden County officials announce literacy measure

Courier Post: 10.27.2014 by Phil Dunn

The ability to read is a skill people take for granted every day, but for millions of Americans, illiteracy is a major stumbling block.

Local officials hope to change that by offering free adult reading classes at the downtown Camden branch of the Camden County Library System.

Two teachers have been hired to work with both English-speaking and non-native English-speaking adults in small groups weekdays, evenings and Saturdays.

“One of our goals is to make positive changes in the communities we serve through programs like these free reading classes ...” said Linda Devlin, director of the county library system.

“Our library is committed to improving literacy skills and providing residents with opportunities to advance their education.”

More than 32 million adults in the U.S. cannot read, according to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy.  READ MORE !

AAUW discusses 'Literacy in Lompoc'

Lompoc Record: 10.27.2014

The Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch, AAUW, recently invited a panel of experts to talk about “Literacy in Lompoc,” a new initiative for the community.

United Way CEO Eddie Taylor announced that Lompoc is the only community in the U.S. with an initiative for literacy that touched all segments of the population. Sid Haro, Lompoc Unified School District assistant superintendent, spoke about the new “Reading Plus” program used in the Lompoc schools and explained the support the district has put into place for both teachers and administrators to ensure success.

Linda Hogan, “Reading Plus” teacher at Fillmore school, saw great success last year in raising student reading levels by three to five years. She used the program with her own children and saw amazing results.

The Lompoc Library Adult Literacy Program has joined the Central Coast Literacy Council under the direction of Laura A. Davidson, director. Adults who aren’t literate will continue to be supported and coached by volunteers to become workforce ready and more confident.  READ MORE !