Literacy – Spanning the US :: Vicksburg MI :: Atlanta GA :: St Clair Co AL

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.

Library Partners to Create Community Literacy Center

South County News: 8.04.2017 by Eric Hansen

Vicksburg District Library is working with South County Community Services (SCCS) and the Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) to develop an Adult Literacy Center in southern Kalamazoo County.

@KzooLiteracy

Linda Adams from the Library, Danna Downing of Community Services, and Michael Evans of the Literacy Council are collaborating to create a program that provides a range of tutoring services such as assistance with reading comprehension, training with computers, and assistance with studying for the GED. The program relies on volunteers, presenting an opportunity for Vicksburg residents to give back to the community. This is exceptionally important due to the number of people in Kalamazoo County who struggle with reading comprehension issues.

Evans, executive director of the Literacy Council, has explained that “in Kalamazoo County more than 25,000 people, or 13 percent of adults, cannot read a simple story to a child, an intersection on a map, a prescription label or total purchases from an order form.”  READ MORE @

@LAIAtlanta 

Literacy Action helps low-literates learn computer skills

MDJ Online: 8.11.2017 by Bill Baldowski

There are about 800,000 low-literate adults in metro Atlanta alone, said Kate Boyer, interim executive director of Literacy Action of Atlanta.

These individuals struggle daily with math, reading and digital skills but her organization is attempting to put low literacy on the endangered list, especially in helping these individuals learn to operate successfully in the computer-dependent world.

“It is our goal to provide adult learners the opportunity to improve their literacy, numbers and digital skills in order to reach their highest potential,” Boyer said.

Although its classes are usually well attended, the one program that is drawing as much attention as Literacy Action’s successful GED program is its set of computer and digital classes.

Nicole Hooper, now a student life manager with Literacy Action, previously taught computer and digital classes when she was its digital inclusion fellow. Hooper said the program has received great comments from participants.

“This program is designed to increase the digital skills of our students and create more digital inclusion opportunities for them,” she said.  READ MORE @

I already have plenty of books

News Aegis: 8.10.2017 by Rita Aiken Moritz

August has much to offer in Pell City, but perhaps the greatest thing our fair city has to offer is the Adult Reading Program at the Pell City Library. June and July had reading programs for children and teens respectively. But August is devoted to the adults and I can’t help but get excited when I see adults reading. There are prizes for adults who read the most books, so there is some good-natured competition. But in my opinion, anyone who signs up for the contest is a winner just because they have made their world a little bigger by reading.

Literacy Council

West Alabama

However, that August Adult Reading Program also brings to mind the number of Alabamians who can’t read. The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) has estimated the illiteracy rate in the United States to be approximately 15 percent. However, according to the Literacy Council of West Alabama, that rate in Alabama is closer to 25 percent or one in four people.

@literacy_update

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Both the Pell City Library and the St. Clair County Literacy Council have programs available to help those who are unable to read. Those programs include one-on-one tutoring, group classes and ESL classes and there is no charge for those programs.  READ MORE @