Literacy – Spanning the US :: S Sarasota Co FL :: Florida :: NY NY

Literacy Volunteers

So Sarasota County

Amazing Suncoast Woman - Jan Gallas, President of Literacy Volunteers of South Sarasota Co.

My Suncoast: 5.23.2017 by Linda Carson

People walk thru these doors at the North Port Library not speaking a word of English, or reading English . They meet Jan Gallas, she introduces them to her Literacy Volunteer Program and that opens a whole new world for them. the literacy volunteers teach english as a second language.

Jan says, "Our motto is "Literacy Changes Lives". We work with students from Osprey to North Port , and we teach adults to read write and speak English. "

Last year their 171 Tudors served 315 very motivated students from 51 countries.

Jan says, "They came to the United States and they want to be part of the community . They want to learn to speak English, pronounce better, they want to learn grammar, they want to learn all the idioms. We have plenty of those. They just want to better themselves. They want to fit in, they want to be part of the United States."

You don't have to speak a foreign language to be a Tudor, and you don't have to be a teacher. Jan wasn't.

She says, "I worked in a school district 40 years, I worked in public service office helping students, parents and teachers better themselves."  READ MORE @

@FloridaLiteracy

Florida Blue Foundation Sponsors Statewide Health Literacy Grants Program

PR.com: 5.25.2017

Fourteen programs across the state of Florida have been awarded a one-year grant, up to $5,000, for the implementation of a health literacy program to benefit their Adult Education, ESOL, and family literacy students.

These mini-grants, awarded by Florida Blue Foundation and the Florida Literacy Coalition, will integrate health and nutrition information into the programs’ curriculum. The focus is to help students acquire the knowledge, literacy skills and resources that will help them navigate the medical system and make informed health decisions. More than 15,000 students from programs throughout Florida have benefited from this Initiative since 2009.

There is a growing recognition among health care providers and adult educators around the country that limited English language and literacy skills can have a significant impact on one’s health. According to the National Adult Assessment of Literacy, 14 percent of Americans cannot comprehend basic health information. The study indicates that health illiteracy is especially prevalent among: 1) adults who did not complete high school, with 49 percent having below basic health literacy, and 2) foreign-born adults who have English as their second language.

People who lack literacy and health literacy skills are much more likely to take medications incorrectly, be hospitalized and spend more time in the hospital than people with higher health literacy, and are four times more likely to have poor health. The potential for savings and better health are significant. Adult education, literacy and family literacy programs can play an important role in helping people to acquire these skills.  READ MORE @

@LitPartners

Joanne Lipman honored at Literacy Partners’ Gala

USA Today: 5.25.2017 by Staff

Literacy Partners recently honored Joanne Lipman, Gannett’s Chief Content Officer and editor-in-chief of USA TODAY and the USA TODAY NETWORK, at its Evening of Readings Gala. The event, held Wednesday the 24th at New York’s Cipriani 42nd Street, honored Lipman for her “devoted work in literacy and philanthropy.”

The fundraiser was held to further Literacy Partners’ mission to “end illiteracy, one adult at a time,” and the funds will assist in the expansion of the organization’s community-based literacy programs. Since its establishment 44 years ago, Literacy Partners has provided the greater New York City area with literacy services including free classes, serving upwards of 25,000 adults.

"As a program that helps working immigrant mothers learn English and improve their literacy skills, we were thrilled to salute Joanne at our gala dinner this year” says Anthony Tassi, Executive Director of Literacy Partners. “Not only is she one of the most important editors of our time, she is a woman of extraordinary vision and integrity.  Her commitment to an inclusive and well-informed society is so inspiring to us and resonates deeply with our educational mission. READ MORE @