Literacy: Spanning North America
Innisfil library turns page on new literacy
program
Barrie Literacy Council celebrating partnership
with Innisfil ideaLAB and Library to help
students improve literacy and math skills
SimCoe: 2.09.2017 by Janis Ramsay
Kyran Bess admits his literacy and math skills
aren’t exactly where he’d like them to be.
The Innisfil man came to Canada in April 2009
after growing up in the Caribbean.
“I dropped out of school early and became the man
of the house, providing for my brothers and sister and others,” Bess said. “I
didn’t learn an education.”
He also found himself in conflict with the law.
After overcoming those troubles, he eventually immigrated with the rest of his
family.
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In the fall, he approached the Barrie Literacy
Council to upgrade his education.
He was partnered with volunteer
Line Crickard and, for the first month, they met in Barrie. READ MORE @
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Want
to help immigrants? Become a literacy tutor
Hudson Valley 1: 2.10.2017 by Frances Marion Platt
Whether
our forebears trekked across the Aleutian land bridge before the last Ice Age,
were dragged here in chains from Africa in the 18th century or landed at Ellis
Island from Europe a mere century ago, pretty much all of us, ultimately, came
to America from somewhere else. And all the bits of culture and talent and
energy from all those different parts of the world have added up to a formula
that we like to think makes this country pretty special. Not all our
differences melt away to unrecognizability in that great melting pot, but our
diversity is in many ways our greatest strength. People have been fleeing
oppression and privation to get here for a long time now.
While
some Americans apparently do approve of the idea of closing down our borders
now that they’re safely here, many of us are profoundly troubled by recent
developments in regard to national immigration policy. “Since when does this
country exclude immigrants based on religion, race, ethnic group or country of
origin?” we ask ourselves. “Aren’t we supposed to be a haven for refugees from
less enlightened places?”
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If
you’re still wondering, “What can I do to help immigrants in these harsh
times?” Kathe Nack has a practical idea for you. A Gardiner resident, Nack
started looking around for some volunteer work to do in 2013, after retiring
from her career doing art preparation and restoration for the art gallery at
Vassar College. She spotted an ad from the Ulster Literacy
Association (ULA) seeking volunteers to take a training
course as an adult literacy tutor. After completing the class, she teamed up
with another volunteer, Linda Hart, to start presenting a course in English as
a Second Language at the Gardiner Library, geared toward the migrant farmworker
population of southern Ulster County.
Conversation
Groups Grow at North Plainfield Public Library and other County Libraries
TapInto: 2.13.2017
by Marina P Kennedy
Adults
who wish to improve their English speaking skills are welcome to the North Plainfield Public Memorial Library
on Monday nights for a “Conversation Group” that runs from 7:00 pm to 8:00
pm. The gathering is an opportunity to practice speaking English in a
relaxed, informal setting.
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This
is a free program for area residents sponsored by Literacy
Volunteers of Somerset County (LVSC) in association with the
North Plainfield Public Library. The weekly class has many activities to encourage
communication. They include word games, and discussions about travel,
food, news, and entertainment as well as some lessons on pronunciation and
grammar.
Marina
Kennedy has been instructing ESL groups for over 10 years. She said that
leading a conversation group has been both enjoyable and gratifying.
“There are so many nice people in the community who wish to have better
speaking skills. It is a pleasure to get together every week and have a
chance to talk.” She also commented that the group is friendly and
welcoming. “Participants can come to every class or whenever they can make it.”
The
students attend for many different reasons. Some of the recent
participants have joined so they can speak more where they work, communicate
with their children’s teachers, help their children with homework, travel more,
or to advance in their careers. READ MORE @
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