Literacy – Spanning the US: Milford CT :: Stoughton MA :: Cleveland OH :: Cazenovia NY :: Tulare Co CA

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Ribbon cutting welcomes Literacy Volunteers of Southern CT

Stratford Star: 5.02.2016

The Stratford Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Mayor John Harkins and Stratford Library Director, Sheri Szymanski, announce a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, May 11, at 11 a.m., at the Stratford Library to welcome Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut, Inc.

The Literacy Volunteers of Southern CT, is staffed in the Stratford Library every Wednesday from 10-11:30 a.m. by Melinda Karwon. Tutoring and training sessions are scheduled and posted at the library.

Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut’s mission is to provide services at no cost to any individual who wishes to learn the English language or enhance their reading, writing, speaking and math skills necessary to lead productive lives in the community.  READ MORE @

Tutors, adult learners celebrate gift of English at Stoughton ceremony

Wicked Local: 5.01.2016 by Sandra L. Churchill

Spirits were high on a recent Saturday evening as more than 150 guests gathered to celebrate English language literacy success at the Stoughton Public Library.

Literacy Volunteers of Stoughton held its annual Recognition Night and Potluck Dinner, which recognized 97 tutors and 141 students hailing from 34 countries.

Program coordinator Smadar Gekow praised the hard work of the volunteer tutors and the success of the students, accompanied by the Miley Cyrus song, “The Climb.”

“Many of you became U.S. citizens, some of you enrolled in college and you obtained driver’s permits, driver’s licenses and library cards,” Gekow said. “You helped your kids with homework and watched movies in English.”

Co-coordinator Sandra Goverman praised the volunteer commitment of the tutors, saying “you completed 5,050 hours of tutoring.”  READ MORE @

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More than half of Cleveland Residents Read Below a 7th Grade Level

ideastream: 5.02.2016

Earlier this year, a study ranked Cleveland as the “most distressed” big city in America. The Economic Innovation Group, a non-profit think-tank, found that 1 in 5 people in Cleveland don’t have a high school diploma.

One reason some students drop out of school is because they’re poor readers. ideastream's Darrielle Snipes takes a look at the adult low-literacy rate and what is being done to break the cycle.

Reading doesn't come easy for Dontez. With help from a tutor he struggles to sound out every word.

=Since the beginning of the year, the two have been working together on Wednesday mornings at Merrick House, a community center in the Tremont neighborhood.

“I can read simple words,” Dontez said. “I sound them out, like we were doing, I break them down But some words I just don't know.”

Dontez, who asked his last name not be used, is 27 years-old but his reading skills are that of a 5 year-old. He says he has a learning disability. As a child kids teased him.  He repeated the 9th grade before dropping out.

He spent 5 years in prison and says while there he tried to work on his reading.  Now, he works in a factory. He says an employment agency helped him with the application.

A 2009 study by Case Western Reserve University shows Dontez isn't alone. In the city of Cleveland 69% of adults read at or below the 7th grade level. In Cuyahoga County its 46%.  The report concludes people with low reading levels can have severe economic disadvantages and find it harder to get or keep even a minimum wage paying job.

Bob Paponetti, the executive director of The Literacy Cooperative says “theoretically they can't get into those very training programs that could give them the technical skills to get a job that could get them out of poverty or to the next level of income.”  READ MORE @

A Second Chance to Get an Education

Persistence and Friendship Help a Literacy Student to Stay the Course

Madison County Courier: 5.05.2016

Brandon Fowler has been meeting weekly at Cazenovia Public Library with his tutor Gary Johnson for more than a year. Before enrolling in the program, Brandon didn’t know how to prepare for the HSE exam (formerly known as the GED) and wasn’t sure he could balance work and weekly tutoring at the same time.

“When I first signed up, I was nervous about meeting a new tutor and having homework,” Fowler said. “But my tutor Gary made the HSE (high school equivalency) course fun and exciting.”

=Changing work schedules, car problems, family responsibilities: all of these have presented obstacles at one point, but Brandon is determined to stay the course and complete his high school education.

Learning widens his horizons and has brought new friends into his life, Fowler said.

“The program gives me a second chance to get an education,” he said. “Also, I have gained new friends willing to help me. I wish I knew more people like Gary and others at Literacy Outreach who have helped me along the way.”  READ MORE @

Its Library Literacy Day in Tulare Co!

Khuload, born in Yemen, earned her citizenship after studying at the Library.

County of Tulare: 4.19.2016

Today is Library Literacy Day in Tulare County! Supervisors honored volunteers, students and the staff of Tulare County Library this morning.

"At the end of the day it's about government's impact on the people and the positive ways we can affect their lives," stated Supervisor Worthley during the Library Literacy Day presentation.

Did you know that Tulare County Library has 15 locations serving local residents? Take advantage of their many programs today to encourage life long learning.  READ MORE @