Literacy – Spanning the US :: Salisbury NC :: Carbondale CO :: Redwood City CA :: Hastings NE

Literacy: Spanning the US

@RCLiteracy

Literacy Council Honors Myers, Doering, Top Tutors

Salisbury Post: 6.27.2019

During 2018, tutors at the Rowan County Literacy Council volunteered more than 4,000 hours helping fellow Rowan County residents improve their literacy skills. On June 12, RCLC volunteers were honored at a celebratory event at Pancho Villa’s Mexican Grill & Bar to recognize their many achievements.

Program Coordinator Laurel Harry and Executive Director KC Scott noted tutor milestones, shared special accomplishments, and gave out several special awards, including two Rookie of the Year awards, the Catherine Bernhardt Safrit Award for Extraordinary Volunteer Service, and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

═════════►

Each year, the Literacy Council recognizes one or more new tutors who have shown exemplary dedication and spirit. For 2018, tutors Rita Sims and Dan Durrett received the Rookie of the Year awards.

The Rowan County Literacy Council has been serving Rowan County since 1976 and is headquartered in the main branch of Rowan County Public Library at 201 W. Fisher St. RCLC is a United Way Agency whose student programs are free of charge to individuals in the community.  READ MORE >>

VOICES

Lifelong Learners Find Expression Through The Arts

Post Independent: 6.27.2019

Local nonprofits VOICES and Valley Settlement Project are teaming up for the second year, bringing art making to their Lifelong Learning students.

The Lifelong Learning Program offers free adult education in Spanish to over 100 students each year. Students learn English, Spanish literacy, math and computer skills. Through this partnership with VOICES, students discover ways to share their stories and express emotions using the creative arts, according to press release.

Angelica Breña, professor of literature from Mexico City, and Vanessa Porras, local printmaker and teaching artist, designed the workshop to explore the theme of identity and what it means to be bicultural. Breña and Porras, both of Mexican heritage, have experienced firsthand the complexity of being an immigrant.

This year, Expressive Arts Therapist Sheri Gaynor joins the teaching team and will offer tools for expressing emotions through visual journaling, experimenting with painting, drawing, collage and writing.  READ MORE >>

@RwcRead

Mom, Daughter Both 2019 Graduates Thanks To Redwood City Library Program

Climate: 6.28.2019

Emmanuella Garcia has supported her daughter through high school, ensuring she was on the right path to graduate. But she wanted to take her position as a role model to her children even further.

Lacking a high school diploma, Garcia enrolled into Career Online High School at the Redwood City Library. Now, she and her daughter can both call themselves 2019 graduates.

Garcia is one of three of the newest graduates of the program that offers adults the chance to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate online. The three graduates were honored at the Redwood City Council meeting on Monday.

Tuition for the Career Online High School (COHS) program, which normally costs over $1,000, are offered free to adult community members in the form of scholarships. The scholarships are funded by the California State Library and Redwood City Library Foundation, with the Foundation’s major funders being Cargill and Atkinson Foundation, according to Derek Wolfgram, Director of Redwood City Library.  WATCH

Hastings Literacy 

Program

20 Students Earn GEDs

Hastings Tribune: 6.30.2019 by Will Vraspir

School was never easy for Jacinto Jenkins, but the 57-year-old Hastings man proved age is just a number as he earned his General Education Development diploma this year.

Over the span of about 18 months, Jenkins went to classes and studied in his spare time to prepare for taking the four tests in language arts, math, social studies and science needed to earn a GED.

There were times he felt too old to be going back to school, but his fiancee Jeanette Stennis encouraged him to continue.

“She pushed me,” he said. “She told me ‘Age is just a number.’ ”

Along with Stennis, Jenkins said his faith and desire to change his life provided the motivation needed to keep working until completion.

“It took a lot of prayer and faith,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing when you can complete something like that.”

Jenkins was one of 20 students to earn a GED this year through the Hastings Literacy Program.  READ MORE >>