Literacy – Spanning the US :: Orlando FL :: Passaic NJ :: Contra Costa Co CA

Literacy: Spanning the US       

@ALL4Literacy

”You Don’t Have To Feel Ashamed”: Learning To Read At The Age Of 23

WMFE: 4.18.2019 by Matthew Peddie

One of the biggest barriers to learning to read as an adult is shame.  The Adult Literacy League works to overcome that barrier, through courses ranging from English literacy to GED, math and computer skills.

From the education desk this week 90.7’s Matthew Peddie talks to the Adult Literacy League’s executive director Gina Berko Solomon, and student Brittani Bellamy.

Bellamy was 23 when she saw a TV commercial for the league and reached out for help.  LISTEN 03:40

Passaic County Woman To Be Honored At Literacy NJ Conference

Inside NJ: 4.19.2019

Literacy NJ — which provides free adult literacy programs and U.S. citizenship classes in eight New Jersey counties — will present the award at its annual Literacy for Life Conference at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. The event brings together 200 students, tutors, adult educators and board members from across the state for a day of professional development.

@lvanewark

Gloria Orjuela is a student at LVA Essex & Passaic Counties. She arrived in the U.S. with beginner English and, in her own words, progress hindered mostly by one factor: fear. There was the fear of asking for help, even for directions on the street; the distress of answering the telephone; and the everyday anxiety of knowing that someone might say something she didn’t understand, and react unkindly when she couldn’t respond. But much has changed for this Bogota, Colombia native since arriving in the states in 2017.

“We have seen Gloria grow and begin to carry herself with great confidence as she gets more comfortable with her English,” said Ellen Martin, recruitment & training coordinator for LVA. “She walks with pride into our office, managing everything each person on the staff throws at her at once.”

Gloria earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in Colombia and became a budget coordinator, the third-highest position in a company of 5,000.  READ MORE >>

@PSCLiteracy

Library Lines: Contra Costa Adult Literacy Program Helps Thousands

More than 5,900 in county have developed skills through Project Second Chance

East Bay Times: 4.21.2019 by Brook Converse, Contra Costa County Library

There are many consequences related to the inability to readco, including lower income rates, health concerns and low self-esteem. Literacy rates not only affect individuals but also society as a whole via employment rates, civic engagement and the economy.

The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that 12 percent of adults in Contra Costa County lack basic literacy skills, as do 23 percent of adults in California, the highest rate in the nation. The Contra Costa County Library system is working to improve those numbers through a program called Project Second Chance (PSC). Founded in 1984, the library’s adult literacy program has helped more than 5,900 county residents develop skills to read to their children, vote, advance at work, write to family and friends, read the newspaper, follow directions and acquire their high school diplomas.

“Improved literacy skills also help people to feel better about themselves,” said Adult Literacy Program Manager Elaine Kociolek. “Learning to read and write can help empower people in many parts of their lives.”  READ MORE >>