Literacy:
Spanning the U.S.
LearningQuest
helps adults find and stay on path of education
If you
think of education as a pathway that begins at birth, then you can visualize
people walking the path – some stopping to rest, others wandering off for a
while and coming back, some finding alternative trails and others just sitting
on a bench and being passed by. LearningQuest
is an agency serving those who have stopped or wandered off the path, and it is
our mission to help them find the trail again and have the stamina, resources
and confidence to keep going.
This
path of life-long learning is necessary to reach the goal of a living-wage job
for a family and hope for a better tomorrow.
One of
those who wandered off the path is a man named Antonio. He dropped out of school
in 10th grade and was incarcerated for many years. He was a recovering drug
addict, jobless and homeless when he came to Modesto. Then he began to make the
changes he needed to make and went from living on the streets to a garage to
his own one-bedroom house. He went from being unemployed to recycling to a
part-time janitorial work.
But he
realized he would get no further if he did not get his education, and he came
to LearningQuest to begin the preparations he would need to pass his GED test.
He is now just one test away from his diploma and plans to enroll at Modesto
Junior College and become the first in his family to attend college. He is
traveling the road again and now has a map to guide him. READ MORE !
Ridgewood
resident named Project Literacy's top volunteer
"It
feels great," Katzianer said about being chosen for the award, adding that
working for the organization is "absolutely rewarding."
Project
Literacy, which teaches adults valuable learning skills, is run by volunteer
tutors. Each year, awards are given to those who go above and beyond, and this
is Katzianer's year.
"The
awards ceremony recognizes outstanding accomplishments in the field of adult
literacy and honors individuals, companies and organizations for their
dedication in providing the gift of literacy to adults who confront life in
Bergen County without the skills to effectively communicate," the
organization said.
"This
is the 27th year the award has been given to a volunteer tutor who has excelled
in bringing the light of literacy into the darkness of illiteracy for an adult
by working one-to-one with students who have basic educational needs,"
said Christopher Stout, executive director of Project Literacy.
Katzianer,
a 26-year veteran of Verizon, "is a seasoned math teacher and has been
volunteering his skills to provide one-to-one tutoring at Project Literacy
since 2012," the organization said.
READ MORE !
8
percent of Hancock County adults illiterate
Q: September is Literacy Month, and I was
stunned to see the facts on your website that nearly one in 12 adults in
Hancock County lack basic literacy skills.
A: The number works out to over 4,000 people,
or roughly 8 percent of the adult population. It is shocking. But that’s why we
have programs such as Read for Life at the library, which is specifically aimed
at adults. It’s our purpose as a coalition to coordinate and support those
efforts.
Q: Of course, to really eliminate the problem
of adult illiteracy, it starts with children.
A: Correct, which is why much of our work is
focused in that area.
A lot of people are familiar with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which
sends a book each month to the child’s home at no charge. We’ve been
participating locally for about a year now, and we just surpassed a thousand
children enrolled.
The research shows that these programs do make
a substantial difference when it comes to school preparedness and success.
Q: Is that one of the common myths, that
illiteracy is a problem for which schools take the blame?
A: That’s right, it’s broader than that. Even
before kids get to kindergarten, to hear words being spoken and connect that to
the way they are written on the page makes a world of difference. It’s not
about studying or anything like that, it’s simply becoming familiar with the
idea that the language we speak is also written.
Imagine a child coming to school not knowing
how to hold a book or what direction to turn the pages. Without those basic
building blocks, it becomes a much bigger uphill climb. And it’s not difficult
to see how, in homes where adults lack those literacy skills, it becomes that
much more difficult to lay that groundwork for the children. READ MORE !
Volunteer
tutors are core of literacy program
The time
and efforts by local volunteers with Literacy Green
Bay have been integral for helping to educate others, many of
them adults who are working on their English-language skills.
Gaby
Gamboa has lived in Green Bay since she and her two children arrived in the
United States 12 years ago for what was supposed to be a short-term visit.
Unable
to read, write or speak English, Gamboa’s adjustment to living in a new country
was a struggle. She endured many days of isolation.
“I was
an illiterate person because I couldn’t talk, read or write,” said Gamboa,
referring to the English language. “Well, surprise, when you come to the United
States, you’re nothing — nothing at all. You cannot talk, you cannot read, you
cannot write, so you’re nothing.”
Gamboa,
a native of Mexico, credits the assistance of Literacy Green Bay, and the
long-term guidance of Connie Gardner in particular, for allowing her to become
a person of significance in her new homeland.
Literacy
Green Bay, which has been in operation since 1981, provided one-on-one
tutoring, classroom learning and other services for nearly 800 people from
Brown County in the past year. Most were adults in need of acquiring or
improving their English-language skills.
“We have
learners that run the gamut of ability and what they need help with,” said
Kathy Cornell, executive director for Literacy Green Bay, which relies on the
support of a few hundred volunteers.
Cornell
said more than 85 percent of Literacy Green Bay’s clientele are
English-language learners, who typically are placed in classes offered at the
agency before they are assigned to a tutor. Others who turn to Literacy Green
Bay are pursuing a GED or enrolled in a family literacy program that involves
literacy education for adults as well as their children. READ MORE !
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