Literacy – Spanning North America :: Sanford ME :: Marystown NL :: Ottawa ON :: Pearland TX

Literacy: Spanning North America     

‘Changing lives’ at Literacy Volunteers of Greater Sanford

Journal Tribune: 5.25.2018 by Tammy Wells

Nelson Thompson is enjoying reading a variety of subjects these days. He’s been reading about the Wright brothers, of aircraft fame, as well as perusing newspapers and books.

Three years ago, reading wasn’t part of his daily life. That changed when he got in touch with Literacy Volunteers of Greater Sanford and began working with a tutor.

Thompson, 47, was born in Sanford. The family lived in Wells for a time and then in Concord, New Hampshire, where he attended high school. A childhood accident meant many hospitalizations though, and his school work suffered.

“I knew I needed to learn to read a long time ago,” said Thompson on Wednesday at the LVGS annual student recognition dinner. Someone pointed him in the right direction — and his reading skills have improved as a result.

Thompson has been been working with his volunteer tutor, Helen Bower, for almost three years at the LVGS office on Main Street.  READ MORE >>

Burin Peninsula

Laubach Literacy 

Book giveaway on Saturday aimed at promoting literacy on Burin Peninsula

CBN Compass: 5.25.2018 by Martine Blue

In an effort to promote literacy, the Burin Peninsula Laubach Literary Council is holding a book giveaway at the Peninsula Mall in Marystown on Saturday, May 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The organization gathers books that the Burin, Marystown and St. Lawrence public libraries donate from their collections and also offers reading material from private donations.

The giveaway event is held twice a year and is very popular.

Organizer and Laubach instructor Bonnie Beazley said, “Last November we gave away between 1,500 and 1,600 books and we have about 1,200 that we are organizing for Saturday.”

Books will be arranged by category. A kid’s section will feature storybooks, young children’s novels, pre-teens and teen novels as well as informational books. Adult books will be separated according to some popular authors like Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, Mary Higgens Clarke and Dean Koontz.

“We get a lot of books by a certain author because that’s what people collect and that’s what people bring in,” Beazley said. “We separated romance into Harlequin romance versus all other romance.

“We have a mystery/suspense category and we’ve got another category that’s religious and inspirational, like the 'Chicken Soup' books. We also have a general adult fiction section.”

Beazley added, “We have a big need to promote literacy. Our province has one of the lowest literacy rates in all of Canada.”  READ MORE >>

Unique landscaping program helps grads cultivate new careers

CBC News: 5.25.2018 by Laurie Fagan

Seven years ago a repetitive strain injury to her wrists and shoulders forced Wendy Harper to give up hairstyling, a career she loved.

With a learning disability and poor reading and writing skills, the prospect of starting over in a new job was daunting.

She persisted, last summer, at the age of 63, she finally received her high school diploma. The Ottawa literacy agency that helped Harper graduate suggested she enrol in something called Ready, Set, Grow!

The free, Ontario government-sponsored training program matches adult students facing challenges with local landscaping companies facing a desperate shortage of workers.

Some trainees are older and have been out of the workforce for years, while others dropped out of high school more recently.  READ MORE >>

@AdultReadingCtr

Dale Pillow looks back on legacy at Pearland’s Adult Reading Center

Community Impact: 5.30.2018 by Haley Morrison

Reading has always been a part of Dale Pillow’s life, she said.

“I grew up in a family where everyone is a reader. I mean, voracious readers. My mother is 90 years old, and she is reading two and three books at a time. I have something in my car so that if I get stopped at the railroad tracks, I can read it,” Pillow said.

Pillow moved to Pearland in 1980. Her love of reading led her to get involved in the community a few years later and help the illiterate. More than 30 years after she helped form the Adult Reading Center, Pillow retired in March.

“My hope is that it continues to grow and continues to be able to offer the services that we offer to the community and keep that community support going, which I have every confidence that it will,” Pillow said.

What started as a volunteer-based organization now boasts 16 paid employees and serves close to 600 students.

“I’m proud that we have had that steady growth to get us where we are today,” Pillow said.

The center’s growth is one of the biggest changes over the years, Pillow said.

“We couldn’t serve more than 50 people at a time,” Pillow said.

Originally, Pillow’s goal for every student was to either earn a degree or to find a job. However, some students wanted to learn English so that they could communicate with their child’s teachers.

“What I had to come to realize is that every student has their own idea of what success is and their own goals,” Pillow said.  READ MORE >>