Literacy – Spanning the US :: Lansing MI :: San Mateo Co CA :: Guilford Co NC

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

Capital Area

Literacy Coalition

GED Grads Deserve Caps And Gowns. Can You Help?

Lansing State Journal: 8.20.2018 by Judy Putnam

Barb Schmidt wants her students to enjoy some of the pomp and circumstance most other graduates experience.

She’s the Capital Area Literacy Coalition’s GED coordinator, and she’s asking the public to search their closets and donate gently used caps and gowns. They should be adult size. Any color is welcome.

At a GED graduation ceremony in July, the half-dozen graduates had to rotate a single cap and four gowns to have their pictures taken. Some grads were able to wear felt caps made for preschoolers that were donated to the coalition.

They then had a reception and cake with their families at a ceremony in the Capital Area District Library's downtown Lansing branch.

“Students love getting a chance to wear them and getting their pictures taken in them,” Schmidt said.

Most can’t afford the $25 or so to pay for a cap and gown. The literacy coalition would like to keep a supply of to be used for future graduations so they wouldn't have to share them for photos and during the celebration.  READ MORE >>

Project Read

Volunteers Spread The Joy Of Reading In South City

SM Daily Journal: 8.23.2018 by Louise Lao

For some in San Mateo County, tasks as necessary as obtaining a driver’s license, passing a citizenship test, or even writing a letter to a child’s school can be difficult.

Fortunately, a team of 90 dedicated volunteers work to provide a pathway to success for about 120 students with a one-on-one tutoring program through Project Read. The core program is one-on-one tutoring for adults who need help with reading. Based in the South San Francisco Library and established in 1985, Project Read trains volunteer tutors and matches them to students. The pairs meet one or two times a week for about an hour and focus on a specific area that a student would like to improve upon. For example, students have taken advantage of the program specifically to get a driver’s license or gain citizenship. Students gain vital skills that lead to career improvements.

"They’re facing a job market that’s more and more competitive every time. Because we’re working with adults, it’s not like going to a class. [The tutoring program] is very goal-oriented. … It’s seamless in its approach,” said Project Read Program Manager Holly Fulghum-Nutters, 59.

"When people have problems with reading or writing, they also have problems with self esteem, which makes them feel like they can’t do very much. ... They tend to stay at the bottom levels of the economic ladder,” said Fulghum-Nutters.

Aside from their tutoring program, Project Read offers several programs that serve those in the South San Francisco, Daly City, San Bruno and Colma areas. The Families for Literacy program is designed to help parents read more effectively to their children. The Health Literacy Program focuses on obesity prevention and provides an opportunity for families to prepare healthy foods together. Learning Wheels consists of volunteers that drive to community centers, childcare centers, and other places where Project Read can "spread the joy of reading,” said Fulghum-Nutters. Learning wheels also distributes free books to families.  READ MORE >>

@readingconnect

Reading Connections Looking For Volunteers To Change Lives

WXII: 8.23.2018 by Wanda Starke

Roughly 20% of adults in Guilford County, or 1 in 5, cannot read a children's book. Another 25% cannot read at the high school level.

Tonight in 12 Inspires, WXII 12 News speaks to a local agency working to change that. It's called Reading Connections. It's the largest community-based adult literacy organization in the state.

Right now, Reading Connections is looking for volunteers who have the power to change a person's life.

"I want to do good with what God has given me," said Wanda Jeffries, who joined Reading Connections.

You might remember the #1 ladies' detective agency: the HBO series set in Botswana starring Jill Scott as a trailblazing businesswoman.

The story actually begins with the New York Times besteller by Alexander McCall Smith. He wrote a book series that changed Wanda Jeffries' world.

"I was up to the moon when i finished that first book."

It was a remarkable achievement for a woman who dropped out in the eleventh grade, and up until a year ago was reading at third grade level: Trying to focus, but failing to comprehend.  WATCH