Literacy – Spanning the US :: Charleston Berkeley and Dorchester Cos SC :: Winona MN :: Pueblo Co CO

@TridentLit

Trident Literacy Association reschedules 1st annual literacy fair

Gazette: 10.10.2016 by Rickey Ciapha Dennis Jr.

The Trident Literacy Association Adult Literacy Fair, originally set for Oct. 15, has been rescheduled for Saturday Oct. 29 due to the impact of Hurricane Matthew.

The fair will take place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the main campus parking lot at 5416 Rivers Avenue in North Charleston.

The first 16 attendees who aren’t enrolled with TLA to sign up for GED classes will receive a free voucher to pay for one full GED exam.

The event will provide information on registering for General Education Development (GED) and English Second Language classes, as well as free food, music and games.

According to the TLA, whose mission is to provide adults with life skills using GED-preparation, WorkKeys Career Readiness and English as a Second Language classes, there are approximately 400,000 adults in the tri-county area. About 1 in 7 of them are at Level 1 literacy, which is the lowest measurable level.

TLA said more than 80,000 adults in the tri-county area do not have high school credentials. And according to TLA Development Director Rachel Knight, roughly 21,000 adults in Berkeley County have under an 8th grade education level.  READ MORE @

Winona Adult Literacy

Local immigrants share their stories

Winona Post: 10.05.2016 by Laura Hayes

They come for love, for more opportunities to pursue a career in a specific field, for a chance to provide a better education for their children, for a chance at a different life. In the gym of the former Central Elementary School, community members gathered to hear immigrants share why they decided to come to the United States, what challenges they faced, and pass along how to better welcome their neighbors.

“We have some amazing people [in the community],” Winona Area Public Schools (WAPS) Adult Literacy Coordinator Chris Dahlke said. “That’s one of the greatest things I think we offer to the world, that if they want to, they can come and make a life for themselves. They can find love or bring love with them.”

Their stories were part of the launch of “Green Card Voices” –– a nonprofit organization based in the Twin Cities founded with the idea to add a new perspective to the immigration dialogue occurring across the country by adding the voices of American immigrants. Green Card Voices has a traveling exhibit sharing stories from men and women who immigrated to the United States from a multitude of countries and for a multitude of reasons. Dahlke, who coordinated bringing the program to Winona, said that last year, one of WAPS English as a second language (ESL) teachers was at a conference when she saw the exhibit on display.

“She came back and said, ‘I think this would be a really good thing to bring to Winona,’” Dahlke said. After bringing it to the staff and WAPS’ Community Education department, all the staff members agreed to try to bring the exhibit to the community as soon as possible. The exhibit was at Winona Senior High School for two weeks for students before it was open to the public at Central.  READ MORE @

Pueblo literacy program helps woman prepare for citizenship

Pueblo Chieftain: 10.05.2016 by Sarah Grasmick

Four years ago, she was only able to understand a handful of English words. Now, with the help of the Pueblo City-County Library District’s Adult Literacy Program, she is ready to take the U.S. Citizenship Test.

Angelina Matias, who has lived in the United States for approximately 25 years, didn’t have a chance to attend school in Guatemala. The first opportunity she had to spend time with an educator was on the first day of the literacy program.

“I used to be very shy because when I spoke, I was worried people couldn’t understand me. Now I can start a conversation with somebody,” Matias said. 

“This literacy program makes me feel like I’m a real person.”

The program, which began four years ago at the library district, is for people 16 and older who are interested in improving their reading, spelling, writing, math and comprehension skills. Some learners participate in the program in order to study for the GED, prepare for the military aptitude test or learn how to read the newspaper. Books and other learning materials are provided to the students. Volunteers from around the area tutor. There is no cost to the learners.  READ MORE @