Literacy – Spanning North America :: Yankton SD :: Edmonton AB :: Suffolk Co VA

Literacy: Spanning North America      

Cornerstones Center Offers Adult Learning Programs

Yankton Daily Press: 2.08.2018 by Randy Tramp

The Cornerstones Career Learning Center of Yankton provides education and employment training programs for adults. These services include Adult Basic Education, GED® preparation and testing, English Language classes, transitional English programs, business and industry training programs, Pearson Vue®, Praxis®, and other high stakes testing along with industry-recognized credentialing. Cornerstones is a private, non-profit organization funded by multiple federal, state and local sources and works closely with the Department of Labor and Regulations. Its offices are co-located at 3113 Spruce.

"In Yankton, our primary services include GED and College and Career Readiness classes, English language classes, and Bring Your "A" Game work ethic workshops," said Nakita Maddox, adult education instructor.

The mission of Cornerstones is to assess, promote and provide education and employment training services to area workforce and employers.

It does this by employing 29 people agency-wide, with two employees in the Yankton office. (It is a regional organization with five locations around the state: Huron [main office], Aberdeen, Mitchell, Yankton and Vermillion.)

"Our staff is our organization’s greatest asset," said Executive Director Kim Olson. "They are experienced, certified educators with vast experience working with adult learners. They care about their students, and they are committed to helping them reach their educational and career goals."

At the present time, Cornerstones is partnering with the Yankton Area Literacy Council to offer evening English classes.  READ MORE >>

@palsedmonton

A new equation: Edmonton ex-con finds hope in adult learning program

'I feel great. I have some purpose now'

CBC News: 2.09.2018 by Wallis Snowdon

After years in prison, Dennis Rouleau has learned to calculate the lowest common denominator and has found peace in numbers.

He has spent seven stints in prison and been committed to a mental hospital more than 10 times. The last time he regained his freedom, four years ago, he knew he needed something to keep him focused on a better future.

He decided on mathematics.

Rouleau enrolled in Project Adult Literacy Society (PALS). The Edmonton-based not-for-profit has been helping adults advance their reading, writing and math skills for more than 30 years.

"It's given me structure," said Rouleau. "I come to math classes and computer classes and I have something to look forward to."

Today, PALS has more than 150 volunteer tutors, and helps educate around 300 people a year.

Without a basic education, even the simplest tasks can be impossible, said Monica Das, the math literacy co-ordinator at PALS.

Learning the basics of language and arithmetic empowers her clients in surprising ways, she said.

"No matter how much you offer them, food or housing or health services, if they do not know how to read the prescription … or if they do not know how to get to the food bank and how to take the transit system, it all relates.

"It all ends up with literacy."  READ MORE >>

Library receives funding to teach English

Suffolk News Herald: 2.09.2018 by Alex Perry

Suffolk Public Library is one of just 20 public libraries nationwide to receive a $10,000 American Dream Literacy Initiative grant this year, the city announced this week.

The American Library Association and Dollar General Literacy Foundation offer the grants annually to expand adult library services that teach English and foster education and workforce development.

“We want libraries to use the funds to build adult English as a Second Language programming with community partners in their regions,” said Jody Gray, the director of ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach.

There were 85 public libraries that applied for the 20 available grants this year, according to the ALA Public Programs Office. Gray said Suffolk Public Library was chosen in part because of its demonstrated success with Suffolk Public Schools, the Suffolk Literacy Council and other community partners.

“The community partners are a huge part in what we want the libraries to build,” she said. “Because that’s how these programs become more sustainable.”

Suffolk Public Library is planning to use the funding for “Literacy Link,” a multifaceted effort to provide free English instruction at the North Suffolk Library.  READ MORE >>