Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Santa Cruz Co CA :: Des Plaines IL :: Alameda Co CA


Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

@volunteercruz
Literacy Program Teaches Lessons in and out of County Jail
Inmates say that learning better English will help them lead more fulfilling lives after their release
Good Times SC: 1.10.2018 by Patrick Dwire

At the Santa Cruz Main Jail, at promptly 8 a.m., five inmates file into a program room for their twice-weekly English as Second Language (ESL) class, led by a volunteer tutor from the Literacy Program. It’s one of many programs under the umbrella of the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County.

“When I get out of here,” inmate Alvaro Perez says with a heavy Mexican accent, “I want to be able to speak English with my daughter, and maybe help her with her homework someday.” A few of his classmates nod in agreement.

“It is very important to know some English out there,” says another student, Salvador Serna, “especially to find work, but also if you want to talk with your kids, who are learning English, not Spanish.”

The Literacy Program stepped up to the challenge of providing ESL and GED prep courses at the county jail and Rountree Minimum Security facility beginning in 2012, under the leadership of Genie Dee, the former Literacy Program coordinator, as part of state-funded reforms. Dee passed away on Aug. 18 after a short but ravaging bout with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Dee led the Literacy Program with unflagging dedication for six years, and built up several features—including the jail component—making it a vital, volunteer-driven, no-cost English-language tutoring service for adults throughout the county. The program now has 250 volunteer tutors, many of them retired teachers, for about 300 student learners, not including the approximately 30 students in jail.

More than half of the student learners are between 30 and 44 years old, 78 percent of them women, of which the majority have children. The tutoring is done mostly one-on-one, and focuses on learning functional, day-to-day English, as well as financial literacy, life skills and emergency responses that require English. There are also tutors specializing in math and other subjects required to pass the GED. There are currently 60 people on a waiting list for a tutor.  READ MORE >>

Oakton ESL classes pave the way to success
Chicago Tribune: 1.10.2018 by Community Contributor Oakton Community College

Upon arriving to the United States from war-torn Iraq with her family, Noora Badeen registered at Oakton Community College to learn English, a decision that changed her future by providing the key to success in furthering her education.

In May 2017, she graduated from Oakton with honors and received a scholarship to study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Badeen's experience with Oakton's English as a second language (ESL) program is not uncommon; in fact, the need for these educational services has never been greater.

In 2014, 1,784,403 foreign-born individuals resided in the state of Illinois, accounting for approximately 14 percent of the state's population, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The immigration population is diverse, and sizable shares hail from Latin America, Asia and Europe. In the district Oakton serves, 29 percent of the population was born outside the U.S. Sixty-eight percent of residents speak English only, and the remaining 32 percent are bilingual, speak Spanish only or do not speak English well.

"The benefits of an ESL education are clear," says Linda Davis, senior manager of adult education, who oversees the college's ESL, literacy, family literacy, high-school equivalency (GED), night high school, citizenship education and VITA (Volunteers in Teaching Adults) programs. "Learning English is crucial for integrating into mainstream society and the workplace. Moreover, classes provide immigrants a leg up in their ability to find work, allowing them to have an income to buy goods and services, pay taxes and to pursue the American dream."  READ MORE >>

Alameda County reading program aims to help young offenders
Write to Read allows youth to find their voice at Camp Sweeney
East Bay Times: 1.12.2018 by Darin Moriki

For more than 10 years, Cyrus Armajani has been a man on a mission.

In that time, the Alameda County Library employee has held a job with one goal in mind: ensuring that incarcerated young men at Camp Wilmont Sweeney, the county’s detention facility for youth convicted of low-level offenses, not only improve their reading comprehension skills but also unlock their literary voice.

“I think the idea is that, for me, literacy is kind of our traditional ideas of reading and writing, and it’s also being able to read and understand the world and feel empowered to act to make it a better place,” Armajani, 44, said Tuesday in his small classroom at Camp Sweeney.

As a literacy specialist in the county library’s Write to Read program, Armajani is solely tasked with helping many of the young men at Camp Sweeney improve their reading skills. For four months at a time, at least 16 young men — separated into small groups of four or five — participate in Armajani’s classes twice a week.

In his ground floor classroom at Camp Sweeney next to a recreation yard, books arranged meticulously on shelves, placed neatly on tables or tucked away in cabinets suggest a theme. There is “The Rose The Grew From Concrete” by late rapper Tupac Shakur, “Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching about Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word” by Linda Christensen, and “The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop” by Kevin Koval.

“The students are very well aware of social injustices that exist in the world, so by framing the work we do together with a social justice lens, it kind of implicitly answers the question of, ‘What is the point of the work we’re doing here together,’ ” Armajani said.  READ MORE >>

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Three Signs that the UpSkilling Movement is Gaining Momentum in 2018 via Aspen Inst


Three Signs that the UpSkilling Movement is Gaining Momentum in 2018
Aspen Institute: 2.15.2018 by Jaime S Fall

Across the country, businesses and investors are recognizing the value of investing in training and development programs for frontline workers. Here we are, just six weeks into 2018, and we have seen three encouraging signs that this upskilling movement is gaining momentum: businesses are creating and adopting new models of degree programs for their employees; investors are increasingly stressing the importance of employer investments in education and training; and programs are churning out positive results.

1. Businesses are adopting new college degree programs
Since releasing the UpSkilling Playbook for Employers last year, we have seen significant growth in the upskilling movement among businesses. Two of the most intriguing developments have been around the work employers are doing to provide access to learning for employees.

2. Investors are stressing the importance of employer investments in education and training

3. UpSkilling programs are churning out positive results


Monday, February 26, 2018

National Literacy & Library Events :: March 2018


National Literacy & Library Events :: March 2018

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences
the Southern California Library Literacy Network
for more information



Mar. 01+   NABE Conference Albuquerque NM
Mar. 02      Read Across America Day
Mar. 02      World Book Day
Mar. 02+   Nevada Reading Week Reno NV
Mar. 04      March Forth for Literacy
Mar. 04      National Grammar Day
Mar. 04+   Teen Tech Week
Mar. 05+   Everyone Reading Conference CUNY Graduate Center NY
Mar. 05+   Open Education Week
Mar. 08      Library2.018 Design Thinking @SJSUiSchool 12N
Mar. 16      Freedom of Information Day
Mar. 18+   National AfterSchool Conference Atlanta GA
Mar. 19      Read To Me Day
Mar. 20      World Storytelling Day
Mar. 20+   Power of Play Marbles Kids Museum Raleigh NC
Mar. 20+   Public Library Association Conference Philadelphia PA
Mar. 21+   Oxford Conference for the Book University of Mississippi Oxford MS
Mar. 22+   Health Literacy Conference Portland OR
Mar. 22+   National Black Writers Conference Medgar Evers College, CUNY
Mar. 22+   Plain Language for Health Tufts School of Medicine Boston MA
Mar. 24+   ASCD Conference Boston MA
Mar. 25+   COABE Phoenix AZ
Mar. 25+   World Literacy Summit Oxford England
Mar. 26+   Cause Camp NonProfit Hub Lincoln NE
Mar. 27+   TESOL Convention Chicago IL


Sunday, February 25, 2018

NCFL seeks adult learners to share their learning stories :: 2018 Families Learning Conference


NCFL seeks adult learners to share their learning stories
NCFL Blog: 2.21.2018

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) invites adult learners to apply to be a speaker at the 2018 Families Learning Conference, held from September 24 to 26, 2018, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.


Each year during our Conference, students share their learning stories with attendees during General Sessions (a time when all attendees are gathered together at once). Having students share their stories of determination, hard work, and achievement inspires us all.

Students can nominate themselves
Program staff can nominate students
The DEADLINE is Tuesday, May 1, 2018, 11:59 p.m. EDT

By speaking, student speakers receive

A free round-trip flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from September 23 to 26, 2018

Three free nights at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa

A free registration to attend all Families Learning Conference sessions and events

Free meals from September 23 to 26, 2018

A professional photo taken of their family in advance of the Conference

The opportunity to share their unique story with an audience of hundreds of attendees from around the country

The opportunity to raise awareness of their school or program to a national audience

A DVD recording of their speech

Free time to enjoy the beach and pool



We ask student speakers to:
• Submit a draft of their speech to NCFL in advance of the Conference
• Work with NCFL staff to revise their speech as necessary
• Attend a rehearsal on September 23 to practice speaking onstage
• Make the most of their trip by attending Conference sessions and events

Speech guidelines:
• Speech should be approximately 1500 words
• Speech should take about 8 minutes to read
• Tell the story of your learning journey, including what your life was like before you began attending a learning program and how your life is different now
• Incorporate a Thank You message to the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) and program sponsors


Literacy – Spanning North America :: Sioux Falls SD :: Norman OK :: Madison WI :: Fairview AB


Literacy: Spanning North America      

Reach Literacy moves to Western Mall, gets tutoring space
Argus Leader: 2.08.2018 by Patrick Anderson

Reach Literacy’s new home will allow the group to better serve Sioux Falls readers who rely on the program for tutoring and books.

The nonprofit opens its new literacy center Tuesday in the Western Mall. The storefront at 2101 W. 41st St., near Scheels’ south entrance, includes more space for the stacks and shelves of paperbacks and hardcovers that make up Reach’s bookstore. It also—for the first time—allows Reach to provide a dedicated space for its adult tutoring program.

“Our goal has always been to kind of be a one-stop shop,” Executive Director Paige Carda said. “We want people to see what we’re doing on both ends.”

The bookstore accepts donated books, giving them away for free to children and teachers and selling the rest at heavily discounted prices. Reach’s tutoring program, meanwhile, relies on a network of volunteers to provide individual and group-setting education to Sioux Falls adults who don’t know how to read.

The nonprofit, which started 31 years ago as a prison ministry, also works with employers and employment groups to conduct workplace training.
The sunny storefront space is also big enough to host events, including storytelling sessions and book club meetings, Carda said.  READ MORE >>

Library looking for ESL tutors
Norman Transcript: 2.09.2018 by Sidney Lee

Pioneer Library System’s Jenny Stenis said there are really two halves of the library.

The front half is filled with books and computers. The back half isn’t seen by the public.

That is where programs are planned, materials are purchased and Stenis, along with Literary Specialist Adriana Chavez, help Normanites learn English.

“A lot of our students are relatives, parents, spouses of people at the University of Oklahoma who need help with their language. They come from all different continents and countries. So it may be a variety,” Stenis said. “We do have a Spanish population that we also serve, but it is not nearly as large. There is a huge variety of languages.”

And that doesn’t mean the Spanish-speaking population served through PLS in Norman isn’t also connected to the university.

Chavez said the ESL student population in Purcell is almost entirely Hispanic but the class she teaches in southern Oklahoma City is diverse despite being smaller.

“The one class I teach in south OKC has someone from South Korea, someone from Iran and someone from Mexico. That just shows you how many different cultures are in these different classes,” Chavez said.

Because English is often the only shared language, it adds another level of engagement with the student’s second language.

At times, Chavez has tried explaining a concept to a student when another student, who has a different first language, explains the English concept in a different way, helping their classmate understand.

“We also do adult literacy training, as well, teaching adults how to read or helping them enhance their reading, for anyone over the age of 18,” Chavez said. “And that is individual. We don’t have a class for that.”  READ MORE  >>

Changing lives through adult basic education
Madison Commons: 2.09.2018 by Teodor Teofilov

There were 12 people in the classroom of the former Wingra Clinic in the afternoon on October 26. They were separated into six student-tutor pairs. Some pairs read simple passages, pronounced and spelled words, while others used laptops to go on Google, use Microsoft Office, or email in an attempt to improve their literacy.  The process went on for two hours in a friendly and enthusiastic manner. This is how most classes are in the Literacy Network.

The Literacy Network is a local non-profit organization that provides free classes and tutoring to improve reading, writing, speaking and computer skills to adults in Dane County. It was founded in 1974 to improve adult literacy levels in the community. The organization has seen an increase in students over the past years and served 1193 students in 2016 – a 14 percent increase from 2015. There are laptops provided to students so they can improve their computer literacy. The Literacy Network relocated last year to 701 Dane St. The new location is larger to accommodate the increasing number of students.

An individual’s literacy level is connected with income levels and to the risk of committing crime, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. Over 60 percent of adults in the U.S. prison system and 85 percent of juvenile inmates are functionally illiterate, and almost one in two adults at the lowest literacy level live below the poverty line.

“We aren’t only building literacy here, but connections,” said Chad Ramsdell, 38, an intern and facilitator of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program.  READ MORE >>

Learning centre offers a huge selection of learning services
Fairview Post: 2.09.2018 by Joanne McQuarrie

From general interest courses to community enhancement programming, the Northwest Peace Community Adult Learning Centre is a valuable part of the community and the area.

The Centre, based at the Fairview campus of Grande Prairie Regional College, is run by a welcoming duo - Yvonne Peterson, executive director, and Maureen Martin, ESL instructor and family literacy coordinator. Currently, the areas served include the Town of Fairview, the M.D. of Fairview and Clear Hills County.

“One of our big pushes this year is to open programming in Hines Creek, Cleardale and Worsley, because they're part of the northwest Peace area,” Peterson said. “Formerly, the area covered was primarily Fairview. We're getting nice relationships built.”

Peterson and Martin work closely with people for the best possible outcome.

“Our services are tailored to each person's needs. We just work with people from where they are to where they want to go,” Peterson said.

“We do adult basic education and ESL, which are our two cornerstones; preparing people for the general equivalency diploma (GED) and trades entrance exams.

“We help them upgrade career skills such as communication skills, math upgrading, personal financial management and interpersonal skills, including doing a business plan.”

Martin and Peterson talked about a third cornerstone - family literacy, which, they said, gives parents the literary tools to help their young children to succeed. For this, they partner with Peace ParentLink.  READ MORE >>


Saturday, February 24, 2018

Sign the Petition to Increase Funding for Adult Education via ProLiteracy

Sign the Petition to Increase Funding for Adult Education

The lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-H) need to know that funding for adult education is essential to the success of adult learners. They need to know that this funding creates a return on investment for economic development. Everyone in every state needs to get involved since the full Senate will vote on appropriations.





It's just one easy step to show our collective voice.

Let's send a signal of public opinion to help bring about change. Officials may ignore individual messages, but the more names that we get on our petition, the harder it will be to ignore.

Your Senators Need to Hear From You!

We also urge you to contact your Senator directly to help promote the importance of supporting a significant increase in the AEFLA/WIOA Title II line item. The Senators on the subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-H) need to know that funding for adult education is essential to the success of adult learners, and a return on investment for economic development.

Why Adult Literacy? The 7 Impacts of Low Adult Basic Skills

Why not focus on health, workforce development, or poverty relief? The answer is simple— adult literacy intersects with all of these. We won’t solve these socioeconomic problems unless we build a more literate adult population.

Adult basic education programs bring a powerful return on investment, impacting the lives of Americans, their families, and communities. Adult basic education helps adults break cycles of inter-generational poverty and illiteracy by providing adults the skills they need to succeed as workers, parents, and citizens. Research shows that better-educated parents raise better-educated, more successful children who are less likely to end up in poverty or prison.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education via Rand

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education
A Meta-Analysis of Programs That Provide Education to Incarcerated Adults
Rand: 2013 by Lois M. Davis, Robert Bozick, Jennifer L. Steele, Jessica Saunders, Jeremy N. V. Miles

After conducting a comprehensive literature search, the authors undertook a meta-analysis to examine the association between correctional education and reductions in recidivism, improvements in employment after release from prison, and learning in math and in reading. Their findings support the premise that receiving correctional education while incarcerated reduces an individual's risk of recidivating. They also found that those receiving correctional education had improved odds of obtaining employment after release. The authors also examined the benefits of computer-assisted learning and compared the costs of prison education programs with the costs of reincarceration.


Key Findings
Correctional Education Improves Inmates' Outcomes after Release

➤Correctional education improves inmates' chances of not returning to prison.

➤Inmates who participate in correctional education programs had a 43 percent lower odds of recidivating than those who did not. This translates to a reduction in the risk of recidivating of 13 percentage points.

➤It may improve their chances of obtaining employment after release. The odds of obtaining employment post-release among inmates who participated in correctional education was 13 percent higher than the odds for those who did not participate in correctional education.

➤Inmates exposed to computer-assisted instruction learned slightly more in reading and substantially more in math in the same amount of instructional time.

➤Providing correctional education can be cost-effective when it comes to reducing recidivism.  READ MORE >>