Literacy – Spanning the US :: Solano Co CA :: Athens/Clarke Co GA :: Wilmington NC :: Duncan OK

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.

Real stories tell real, varied successes of Solano County literacy program

Daily Republic: 9.15.2017 by Todd R. Hansen

Richard Diaz, Khatera Omari and Olivia Chavira Mercado were introduced to the Board of Supervisors this week under the singular umbrella of Solano County Library Literacy Services.

But their stories are their own, with individual goals that illustrate the varied benefits adult literacy can have on the lives of those enrolled in the program.

Omari used the program to become a U.S. citizen, while Mercado has earned a general education degree.

Diaz, who did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, used the program to overcome a lifetime of dyslexia. Now, the board was told, he “confidently reads and shares stories with his daughter, and started his own business.”

The board adopted a resolution recognizing September as Adult Literacy Awareness Month.

“Approximately 60,000 adults in Solano County are considered functionally illiterate, hindering their ability to read to a child, follow simple directions, complete a job application, or order a meal off of a menu,” the resolution states, in part.  READ MORE @

Athens Literacy

Athens-Clarke Literacy Council helps local adults earn GEDs

Red & Black: 9.15.2017 by Megan Wahn

According to Carol Rayburn Cofer, current president of the Athens-Clarke Literacy Council, about 9,000 people within the Athens-Clarke County area don’t have their GED.

“Those are people that are not able to be as actively engaged in our community,” Cofer said.

However, that bleak statistic is also the very thing that motivates Cofer and the Literacy Council she helps run.

The Athens-Clarke Literacy Council is an umbrella organization founded in 1993 with the goal to provide, promote and support learning opportunities for adults in Athens-Clarke County.

“There were different organizations that were primarily working through volunteers and trying to address literacy issues in Athens-Clarke County,” Cofer said. “We don’t deliver the literacy training ourselves; we kind of are connectors for other entities that are primarily working with volunteers to be their tutors.”

The Literacy Council primarily serves as a liaison between those providing the adult education and those seeking it, the end goal being for students to obtain their GED.  READ MORE @

@cfliteracy

Help keep Wilmington reading

Star News Online: 9.15.2017 by Editorial Board

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, and definitely not “fake news,” that people who can’t read don’t buy many newspapers.

Thus, it is altogether fitting and proper that the StarNews, which marks its 150th birthday on Sept. 23, will celebrate it by throwing a gala with the Cape Fear Literacy Council. Let’s face it -- readers are our lifeblood. They’ve made those 150 years possible. No offense, of course, to those who buy the StarNews just for the photos.

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For the past 33 years, the volunteer-run non-profit has been providing free, one-on-one tutoring in basic adult literacy. Over the years, it’s added other subjects: basic math, GED exam prep, and, yes, computer literacy. Reading, however, remains the core mission.

The sad fact is, 14 percent of North Carolinians lack basic literacy skills. There are many reasons, but one clear result: People who can’t read are especially handicapped in the digital economy. They are likely to be relegated to the lowest paying jobs, and wind up as clients of public services.  READ MORE @

Duncan Area

Literacy Council

DALC receives grant to help operation

Duncan Banner: 9.15.2017 by Linda Provost

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries awarded a $7,888 grant to the Duncan Area Literacy Council (DALC) to support local adult literacy efforts. A $2160 grant for technology improvements has also been awarded to the local organization.

Mary Brancich, director of DALC, said the United Way agency applies for the grant every year and was pleasantly surprised by the amount. 

@ODLtweet

“Not surprised so much at the grant itself — but more so by the amount of the grant, that's almost $2,000 more than we usually receive,” she said. “I am most pleased that it was funded at all ... I was concerned about the state's budget shortfall and happy that the legislators we have, support our mission. The technology grant was the surprise! That grant was unexpected and I really didn't think we'd get it.”  

Brancich said the tech grant let them buy four laptops and a laser printer/copier.

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According to the Oklahoma State Assessment of Adult Literacy, 12 percent of Oklahomans over the age of 16 read at “Below Basic Level,” with another 31 percent of adults having only the most basic reading skills. Individuals at these levels often face significant obstacles when trying to succeed in the workplace, community, and everyday life.  READ MORE @