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Literacy: Spanning the US

English In Action

Roaring Fork Valley Nonprofit Aims To Build Community Through English Literacy

Aspen Times: 10.16.2019 by Maddie Vincent

Last January, Snowmass local Donnie Ryan met Josefina Jimenez for the first time.

“I absolutely adore her and admire everything about her,” Ryan said of Jimenez. “Her work ethic, her success in business, her commitment as a mom, wife and daughter … she definitely seems to be a rock in her family.”

Ryan and Jimenez aren’t coworkers, relatives, or friends of friends. Instead, the women know each other through their almost weekly meetings as an English in Action teacher-student duo.

At each one-hour session in Aspen, Ryan helps Jimenez, a native Spanish speaker, to improve her English.

“I want to speak more English and to be able to communicate more with my clients,” said Jimenez, who has lived in Glenwood Springs and operated her own cleaning company in Aspen for the past 12 years. “I want to learn because I can use (English) for everything, I guess.”

For more than 20 years, English in Action volunteers like Ryan have worked across the Roaring Fork Valley to help non-native English speakers like Jimenez learn the language for free, aiming to bridge any existing cultural divides.  READ MORE >>

@CCPLibraryVA

Literacy Program Needs Volunteers

Union Star: 10.16.2019

If you can read this newspaper, you may not need the services of Literacy Volunteers of Campbell County Public Library (LV-CCPL). But chances are good that you know someone who does. Lynne Wheeler, LV-CCPL’s program manager, urges local residents with a background in teaching, training, or leadership to consider becoming adult literacy volunteers. “Many of our volunteers are retired, but we also have people who find time around their work schedule. Another way to help is by assisting a friend or family member who needs the services of the program. “Those who don’t read well, who don’t speak English well, or need help with spelling and writing may need help in contacting the literacy office. It’s very hard for people to make that call by themselves, especially in the case of a non-English speaker,” she says. Tutoring is arranged on a case-by-case basis around the schedules of the tutor and student, and takes place at a convenient branch, such as Patrick Henry Memorial Library.

According to Wheeler, about one in five adults in the U.S. struggles with reading, writing, or the English language to the extent that it negatively impacts their ability to function.

“Everyone has a cell phone today, so we tend to think that everyone is reading and sharing information online. But in some cases, people are looking at pictures, or listening to audio or video newscasts rather than reading text. Many non-native adults get by using a translation app. But to be fully informed, it is important to be able to read for ourselves,” she says.  READ MORE >>

@NMProLiteracy

2019 Gift of Literacy Luncheon

Literally Speaking: May/June 2019

Over 200 people attended the 12th annual Gift of Literacy Luncheon held at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach on April 5, 2019. This year’s keynote speaker, Lisa See, spoke about her newly-released (and bestselling) novel, The Island of Sea Women. Each guest received a copy that Ms. See was happy to personalize. Attendees perused the many silent auction and raffle items before being seated and welcomed by professional emcee, Michael Villani. Mr. Villani introduced Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy (NMPL) Event Committee Chair, Helene Chaban who "got things rolling.”

Helene introduced some special guests and spoke movingly about how much the program means to her. She then introduced literacy coordinator, Cherall Weiss, who talked about how having literacy issues makes life a struggle, citing the real life example of a diabetic male who couldn’t read his insulin dosage and how the program has grown with the help of so many generous donors. Then, Ms. Weiss introduced the Learner Speaker, Candace Kirby.

Candace came to NMPL because, even though she was born and raised right here in California, she could not read well enough to help her own two children. She spoke of how she struggled through school and then struggled with the realization that her boys struggled because she could not help them. That is going to change! The Gift of Literacy luncheon is the largest fundraiser of the year for NMPL. This year, the event raised funds to support the ongoing needs of the program.  READ MORE >>

@litdelaware

Delaware Adult Literacy Volunteers Can Now Train Online

Cape Gazette: 10.16.2019

During the past five years, more than 2,000 volunteer literacy tutors have been trained using I2O throughout New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Literacy Delaware tutors will now be trained online to teach adult learners rather than attending face-to-face training.

@Think60

In the past, volunteer tutors were trained face-to-face in a traditional small classroom setting. This training method required volunteers to attend a three-hour training session once a week for five to six consecutive weeks before being matched with an adult learner. Program administrators often had waiting lists of adults who wanted instruction, but they struggled with recruiting volunteers who could meet the rigid tutor training time requirements.

Cynthia Shermeyer, executive director of Literacy Delaware, said, “Tutors want to get started tutoring immediately without first going through hours and hours of training. I2O gives tutors the information they need quickly without overwhelming them; it pulls out the important parts of tutor training so they can get going right away.”

“The training paradigm is changing from on-site to online.  READ MORE >>