Literacy: Spanning North America
How
Real Change Happens In A Community, Changing Lives For The Better
Modesto Bee:
9.06.2018 by Karen Williams
Real
change happens when people from various and often disparate entities realize
there is a need and come together to address a problem.
Over
30 years ago, just such a groundswell happened in Stanislaus County. The issue
was adult literacy. It started at the most basic level, with a group of
concerned citizens from Stanislaus County’s West Side gathering in 1985.
Coincidentally, this group of volunteers was using what remains today the core
curriculum of LearningQuest’s literacy program
– The Laubach “Each One, Teach One” Method.
The
volunteers asked the Volunteer Center of Stanislaus County for support, and
Arlene Nagel, who then was leading the organization, encouraged the board of
directors to respond. This event inspired the center’s board and staff to look
into the issue of literacy and how best to address it.
Coincidentally,
Tri-Valley Growers was having its own crisis: too many employees with low
literacy skills and the need to expand into the area of computerized equipment.
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Before
long, the state’s literacy organization – California Literacy – recognized
their efforts and contributed ideas and resources to encourage them to start
providing literacy tutoring using volunteers both in the community and at
Tri-Valley. In time, Parker and Land had helped start improving literacy
throughout the valley.
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The
Volunteer Center became Stanislaus Literacy Center from 1995-2013 and is now
known as LearningQuest. LQ serves over 1,000 adults a year with literacy,
English language and high school equivalency tutoring and is one of the largest
non-profit literacy organizations in the state.
READ MORE
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Anglos
Want Province To Do More To Protect Access To English Services
CBC: 9.06.2018
Walk
into Literacy Quebec's small
office in Verdun, and you'll find Margo Legault hard at work.
The
executive director works tirelessly to co-ordinate with organizations across
the province which provide help in English adult literacy.
"It's
very challenging," Legault says from the office that looks out onto Verdun
Street.
Challenging
but rewarding — especially when the provincial government recognizes the
importance of that work, she says.
Of
the almost 60,000 respondents to CBC's online tool Vote Compass, 43 per cent
believe the government is doing enough to protect services in English in the
province.
"It
shows that when it comes to the protection of English services, a large
proportion of Quebecers think that things are fine as they are now," said
Charles Breton, director of research at Vox Pop Labs, which created Vote
Compass.
"Still,
34 per cent said the government should do more, with 15 per cent saying much
more." READ
MORE >>
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Project:LEARN
Invites Medina County Residents To An Anniversary Party
Cleveland.com:
9.06.2018 by Sam Boyer
Project:LEARN of Medina County is
celebrating its 35th anniversary with a party and fundraiser on Thursday, Oct.
11 -- and the community is invited to the celebration.
The
event, to be held at The Oaks Lakeside, will feature live entertainment from
The Ryun Louie Quartet, auction baskets, heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.
"We
are excited to celebrate our longstanding service to Medina County residents.
This past fiscal year, we helped over 200 adults improve their skills -- and we
want to continue to offer our services free of charge to any adult who asks for
them," said Kelly Poole, president of the board of Project:LEARN.
This
year, Project:LEARN is facing an increase in the number of students seeking
help with reading, math, English as a new language and the GED test. The new
GED is now a more challenging, computerized test, and students need more help
than ever to improve their skills to pass the test.
Also,
a new Ohio program enabling students who left high school before graduating to
earn actual high school diplomas is challenging the organization to expand its
resources to better serve the community.
"State
funding for adult education programs continues to be cut, and state-funded
English Language Learner classes in our county frequently fill up. We are the
only alternative for many adult learners in Medina County. We need community
support to ensure we can continue to provide free services to the county
in the future," added Karla Robinson, executive director of Project:LEARN. READ MORE >>
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YWCA
Pekin Adult Learners Win 2018 Spotlight on Achievement Awards
PJ
Star: 9.07.2018 by Mike Kramer
Two
students of the YWCA
Pekin Adult Literacy Program have been cited by the state for their hard
work and achievements.
Secretary
of State and State Librarian Jesse White honored the winners of the 2018 Spotlight
on Literacy Awards during a ceremony at the Illinois State Library in
Springfield earlier this year. Winners included Jaqueline “Susy” Aparicio and
her husband, Darwin Amaya, both of whom studied English as a Second Language at
the Pekin YWCA. The couple, along with their tutor, will be recognized during
an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at the YWCA Pekin Adult Literacy office,
315 Buena Vista Ave.
“I
am honored to congratulate these outstanding students for their hard work and
determination to attain lifelong reading and learning skills,” White said.
“Many of them have had to overcome great difficulties and personal obstacles to
reach this level of achievement. I am also proud to recognize our outstanding
volunteer tutors for their generosity and encouragement in helping literacy students
achieve their utmost potential.”
The
Spotlight on Literacy Awards recognize participants in Illinois literacy
programs. An adult literacy or ESL learner or family may be nominated by anyone
who has worked closely with the adult learner or family during the current
calendar year. Spotlight on Achievement Awards are given to 10 statewide ESL or
adult literacy learners based on obstacles overcome and measurable progress
made in their learning. Winners are selected by a panel of literacy advocates
at the state level. READ
MORE >>
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