Literacy – Spanning the US :: Guilford Co NC :: Kern Co CA :: Stamford CT

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

@readingconnect

Reading Connections Helps Open Doors With Literacy, Life Skills Training

Greensboro.com: 8.31.2018 by Ruth D. Anderson

Because of religious persecution, Tasneem Tahira left Pakistan with her brother and his family and came to the United States as a refugee in 2016.

Tahira, who spoke only Urdu, left two brothers and three sisters and their families behind in her home country.

After arriving in Guilford County, she began learning English through Reading Connections, which she says has forever changed her life.

Reading Connections works to improve literacy and promotes educational equity for any Guilford County adult who is interested. Through programs that emphasize speaking, writing, listening and reading, Reading Connections envisions a fully literate community where all individuals have the knowledge, skills and opportunities to flourish.

Not only did Tahira boost her literacy with Reading Connections tutor Vicki McCready, she also heard about a job through Reading Connections.

In partnership with several other Greensboro community-based organizations, Reading Connections organized a new grant-funded initiative to train locally resettled refugees and immigrants to work in the region’s sewing industry.  READ MORE >>

Kern Literacy Council

Kern County Man Learns How To Read After 47 Years

TurnTo23: 8.31.2018 by Tori Cooper

A Kern County man who spent over 40 years without knowing how to read is now writing his own book about his life.

23ABC’s, 'If you give a child a book campaign,' helps highlight the need for family literacy for those living in poverty and we spoke to one man who says without the help of the Kern Literacy Council and missions like the campaign to put books on the table for families he would still be homeless.

It was the pages of books that helped Norman Brown turn a page in his life, "I was hiding from everybody," Brown said.

Brown said he kept a secret to himself for over 45 years, "I didn't tell anyone that I couldn't read, few of my family members knew but that was it," Brown said.

All together Brown attended over 19 different schools so he dodged the reading curve more than a few times as a new student. It was in his adult life that Brown decided to make a change. Brown had been living out of his car for over a year and he said others were trying to take advantage of the fact that he couldn't read. "I had somebody write a check out for me and I had to mail off today and overnight and they stole the carbon so at that time I realized I am going to get ripped off if I don't get my act together and learn how to read."  WATCH 03:00

CLICC Reads

Books Strengthen Bond Between Parent In Prison And Their Child

NH Register: 9.03.2018 by Ed Stannard

Robert Sullivan served four years at the now-closed state prison in Enfield for drug possession, but he kept a connection with his son through their shared love of reading.

Sullivan’s son, who is now 9 , was given six Scholastic books, which he would read with a mentor. Sullivan received the same books and also had a mentor, Landon Osborn, program manager of a statewide program called Connecting through Literacy: Incarcerated Parents, their Children and Caregivers. It’s a book club that offers much more than books.

“Basically, during the time I was going to these once-a-week sessions, he was giving me feedback on my son,” Sullivan said of Osborn.

The books kept a connection between father and son that helped each cope until Sullivan was released on parole the day before Thanksgiving: Nov. 22, 2017. When they spoke on the phone, there was something to talk about, something they had in common: Batman, the Goosebumps series.

Now that Sullivan is out on parole, his relationship with his son is much stronger, he said.  WATCH 01:21