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Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

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September Spotlight on Adult Literacy

LAPL Blog: 9.21.2018 by Kelly Tyler, Senior Librarian, Lifelong Learning

September is National Literacy Month and we want to thank all of our volunteers for the amazing and selfless work they do in support of adult literacy. Every day, all across Los Angeles, they take time out of their busy lives to help other Angelenos learn to read.

While the adult literacy program has many different resources, from self-study tools like Cell-Ed and group conversation classes for English language learners, the foundation of our program is the special relationship between a tutor and learner in one-on-one tutoring. Meeting twice a week over months or years, our pairs develop a mutually rewarding bond that allows adult learners to succeed in their literacy pursuits.

The story of Carmen and Lorena is a perfect example of this bond. In their own words, they tell us about their experience:

My name is Lorena Lordanic, I am 25 years old, and a proud adult literacy tutor. I have had the pleasure of being an adult literacy tutor for an entire year. Last February 2017, I was looking for a way to give my time in order to help someone else.

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Carmen Chavez. I'm 67 years old. I'm unemployed now, and I decided to join the adult literacy program at Wilmington Branch Library because I want to get a better job.  READ MORE >>

@ALL4Literacy

Adult Literacy League's Joyce Whidden to Retire

Orlando Sentinel: 9.25.2018 by Kate Santich

Joyce Whidden — who led the Adult Literacy League in helping tens of thousands of Central Floridians learn to read — will retire in December after 24 years at the charity, the board of directors announced Tuesday.

“Obviously it’s bittersweet,” said Whidden, 66, who became the league’s first executive director in 1998, four years after joining the organization as a part-time program director. “This has been a large part of my life. But we feel really good about where the organization is and where it’s going.”

During Whidden’s tenure, the nonprofit has grown from a paid staff of two with 75 students and volunteer tutors to 16 full- and part-time staff, 350 volunteers, and a projected 3,000 adult learners and 1,000 infants, toddlers and parents in learn-to-read programs this year alone.

The league now works with students at its Michigan Street literacy center in Orlando as well as at more than 20 partner locations throughout Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.  READ MORE >>

@TriCountyLit

Tri-County Literacy Changes Name to Midcoast Literacy

Times Record: 9.26.2018

The Tri-County Literacy Board of Directors and staff have announced the non-profit will now be known as Midcoast Literacy.

“We substantially increased our services and outreach efforts over the past decade,” said Executive Director Donald Lader, Jr., “and in the process, became aware of some confusion around our ‘tri-county’ designation. We want people to know we serve Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and northern Cumberland Counties and believe changing our name to Midcoast Literacy clarifies our regional service area.” Lader added that nothing else about the organization is changing. “Our mission continues to be ‘improving lives through literacy’ and we continue to offer the same free services to adults and families seeking to better their literacy skills.”

David Damour of Brunswick, chairman of Midcoast Literacy’s Board of Directors, said, “Our board is committed to finding ways to serve as many people as we can in our three Midcoast counties. We hope our name change will help us do just that by making us easier to find.”

Midcoast Literacy, headquartered in the Midcoast Maine Community Action Center, in Bath, has been addressing the literacy needs of residents from Freeport to Waldoboro for more than four decades.  READ MORE >>

@SutterCoLibrary

Congressman Garamendi honors 13 from Yuba-Sutter-Colusa as Women of the Year

Appeal Democrat: 9.27.2018 by Chris Kaufman

Fifty women – including several from Yuba, Sutter and Colusa counties – were honored during an annual event Friday in Woodland.

During the fifth annual Women of the Year event, Congressman John Garamendi, a Democrat from Fairfield, honored women from throughout the Third Congressional District as leaders and visionaries in their communities.

“One of the highlights of my year, every year, is hosting this event to recognize the achievements of these distinguished women,” said Garamendi, in a press release. “These leaders come from a variety of backgrounds, but every one of them has made a real difference to their communities and the people around them. It’s a privilege to be able to honor them.”

The women have all made significant contributions to their communities and society through public service, business, education, local advocacy or service in the military.

Women of the Year award recipients from Yuba, Sutter and Colusa counties are:

Sutter County

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Tejinder Kaur, Yuba City, through her work at the Sutter County Library Literacy Services Department she has helped a large immigrant population learn to speak, read and write in English. She was also pivotal in establishing the Sutter County Library’s Literacy Services Citizenship Preparation class, which has helped students pursuing United States Citizenship. The program has helped complete 6,386 applications for naturalization, 740 applications for certificates of citizenship and 4,000 fee waiver requests.  READ MORE >>