Literacy: Spanning the U.S.
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| @ProjectReadUtah |
28,000 Utah County adults struggle
with illiteracy -- one woman is tackling it one reader at a time
Daily Herald:
3.03.2016 by Keri Lunt Stevens
Shauna Brown and her husband have a
deal. He has to make money so she can save the world.
Fifteen years ago, Brown started
volunteering with Project Read,
a local program for adults who want to improve their English reading and
writing skills.
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Undaunted, Brown spent the next 15
years doing what she’s developed a deep passion to do: end adult illiteracy in
Utah County. Through her efforts, Project Read has grown in size and impact. In
the past five years alone, Project Read has served 498 students and affected
more than 1,000 family members with 288 students having entered, improved, or
retained employment, according to the organization.
Her goal is to make sure illiterate
adults — a population that is often misunderstood and underserved — get the
help they need to succeed.
“There’s a lot out there for kids
and literacy, which is great and important, but if their parents aren’t reading
and writing with them at home, we’re going to continue to have a gap,” Brown
said. “Illiteracy is a generational problem — it passes down from parent to
child. If parents aren’t reinforcing literacy at home, we’re always going to
have a struggle.”
One of the issues with adult
illiteracy is that many people are embarrassed and won’t admit they have a problem.
“It takes a lot of courage to walk
in and admit you are struggling with some literacy skills and need help,” Brown
said.
Another issue is that because
adults struggling with illiteracy won’t advocate for themselves, not many
people know the problem exists.
“I don’t think people realize that
there are 28,000 adults in Utah County who struggle with reading and writing
skills,” Brown said. “Eight percent of the adult population can’t do really
basic things like read a recipe or read a road sign.” READ MORE @
U.S. citizenship is a new treasure
Altus Times: 3.05.2016
by Ida Fay Winters, GPLC Coordinator
Having
a relaxed, proud feeling and ready to vote are new treasures gained for Perla
Galaz, a native of Mexico. Becoming a new citizen of the United States has given
her much satisfaction and future promises.
“I
am so happy and excited to be a new American,” said Galaz. “I have lived in the
United States since 2007 when my husband Julio and I moved to Altus with our
first son.”
Her
husband and Perla both had completed college degrees in Mexico, but could not
find jobs. They chose to move from Mexico straight to Altus where he had an
aunt living, and Julio was able to get a job with Bar-S Foods.
That
same year Perla contacted the Great
Plains Literacy Council at the Altus
Public Library to learn English. She said she knew very
little English and needed to communicate with her health providers as she was
pregnant. Lynne Collingwood volunteered to be her tutor and met with her once a
week for about three years. Other jobs and family obligations kept her busy for
several years after that tutoring. READ MORE @
Mesa
County Libraries Literacy Center Changing Lives for 30 Years
Western Slope: 3.08.2016 by Julia Maguire
Mesa County Libraries celebrated the 30th anniversary of
its Literacy Center Tuesday.
Since
its launch in 1986, the center has helped thousands of Mesa County residents
improve their self-sufficiency and communication skills, inlcuding Eusebia
Garza, who was one of the residents that said the literacy center changed her
life.
Garza
moved from Mexico to the United States in the 90's, determined to learn English
Garza began working to improve her skills.
"Because
if I learn I can help my community," said Garza.
It
wasn't until 2003 when she came across the Mesa County Libraries Literacy
Center. At the time she didn't know much
English, but when her tutor asked her what her goals were, she knew what she
wanted to achieve. READ MORE @
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| @MSLCLiteracy |
Helping
hands: Literacy skills result in better health and employment
Centre Daily: 3.07.2016 by Amy T. Wilson
Why
did you decide to volunteer at Mid-State
Literacy Council? When asked, one volunteer replied, “Because
I know how important it is to be able to read.”
According
to the census data, 11 percent of Centre County residents are illiterate. About
17,462 people have difficulty reading signs, instructions and job applications.
They have difficulty opening a checking account, getting a job and reading to
their children. Vulnerable, marginalized, at risk, they struggle.
The
literacy council provides one-on-one tutoring and small classes for about 325
adults in Centre and Clearfield Counties. Trained volunteers share their skills
by teaching reading, writing, math, English, basic computer and health
literacy.
People
helping people — you might be surprised by the results. About 225 trained
volunteer tutors are teaching adults to read the instructions on medicine
labels. Others are team-teaching classes, such as English for Doctor’s Visits,
to help people describe symptoms and learn health care information. READ MORE @
Corona Library Hiding from
Illiteracy
Inner Circle-Corona: 3.10.2016 by
CityofCorona
The City of Corona Public Library
is walking alongside adults in the community through the Adult Reading Assistance Program to put an
end to adult illiteracy and restore confidence, hope, and self-respect during
the process.
The Adult Reading Assistance
Program encourages applicants to participate in a unique writing challenge
sponsored by the Southern California Library Literacy Network.
The challenge is coined as the Writer to Writer Challenge contest and
presents adults learners with an opportunity to put their improving writing
skills against others in programs throughout Southern California that are
similar to the Adult Reading Assistance Program at the Corona Public Library.
For two years in a row, Corona’s
program has yielded a runner-up in the contest. There are 4
levels, with one winner and two runners-up in each for a total of twelve
honorees out of the 97 who applied — a wonderful showing for our program. READ MORE @
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