Literacy: Spanning the US
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All Saints Literacy Center: A
place To Learn… A Place Yo Grow…
Tech
Town Detroit: 9.11 .2019 by Mayte Penman, SWOT City Portfolio Manager
SWOT
City alum All Saints Literacy
Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit located in southwest Detroit that is
committed to helping adults reach their educational, social and career goals by
improving their literacy skills right in the heart of Mexicantown. The center
is a welcoming place for learners to improve their reading, writing, math and
English skills. The program serves adult learners ages 18 and older and
welcomes all levels whether the person is a beginner, intermediate or advanced
learner.
Students
are paired with trained volunteer tutors who are committed to their success and
create a customized learning plan. Tutors meet one-on-one with their students,
adapting the learning approach to meet the needs and goals of the student. This
is all done at no cost!
During
the course of working with the All Saints Literacy Center, TechTown provided a
complete SWOT assessment
that allowed us to better understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats to the organization. We
identified that volunteers were a large part of the organization’s success, so
we helped them find additional volunteers though networking, social media and
more intentional outreach. READ
MORE >>
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Nonprofit Celebrates 50 Years Of
Improving Literacy In Central Florida
WKMG
News 6: 9.12.2019 by Paul Giorgio - Producer
One
in 5 adults in Central Florida read at or below a fifth grade level. The Adult Literacy League is trying
to change that.
Every
week, up to 1,500 people take classes with the Orlando nonprofit.
Vince
Scalise is one of 300 volunteer tutors who help teach basic reading and
writing, conversational English and preparation for taking the GED test and the
citizenship exam.
Scalise
was at the head of the classroom teaching English as a second language, the day
we visited.
The
retired salesman held the student's attention with humor. "I just try to
put people at ease, make them relax, try to have some fun" Scalise said.
"I think, if you have a little bit of fun, it's easier to remember
things."
Executive
Director Gina Berko-Solomon said volunteers such as Scalise, who do not have a
background in teaching, keep the program going.
"Our
volunteers are not teachers," Berko-Solomon said. "They're CPAs.
They're moms. They're nurses. They're doctors. And they want to volunteer."
Berko-Solomon
said she started as a volunteer in 1999. "As soon as I was in the building
and was matched with a student, I was hooked," she said. WATCH
03:21
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County Board Applauds 25th Year
Of Solano Adult Literacy Program
Daily
Republic: 9.12.2019 by Todd R. Hansen
More
than half of the Solano County adult population is considered to be
“functionally” or “marginally” illiterate, according to information provided
Tuesday to the Solano County Board of Supervisors.
“Approximately
60,000 or 20 percent of the adult residents of Solano County are considered
functionally illiterate, lacking basic literacy skills, and an additional 32
percent of Solano adults are considered marginally illiterate, bringing the
total of adults to (more than) 50 percent of our adult population who struggle
with reading, writing and speaking, and need help building their skills to
achieve their goals and participate fully in the benefits and opportunities in
our community,” a resolution adopted by the board states.
The
board recognized September as Adult Literacy Awareness Month and acknowledge
the Solano County Library
Literacy Services for 25 years of service to the Solano adult population.
Three
awards were also presented. The Beth Shedden Reach Out and Read Award was given
to the award’s namesake, Beth Shedden, and to Soroptimist International of
Central Solano County for their support of the adult literacy program.
The
Diane Robinson Lifelong Learner Award also went to the award’s namesake, Diane
Robinson. She was a student in the program and has long been a volunteer who
helps individuals transition into the program.
The
Mary Undlin Volunteer Award was presented to Yolanda DeVore and Elaine Pulido,
“for their dedicated service and support of literacy in Solano County.” They
have tutored nearly 30 students. READ
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The Smart Move: Boosting Literacy
Benefits Whole Community
Journal
Gazette: 9.12.2019 by Drew Dunlavy, Board President-The Literacy
Alliance
As
summer turns to fall, most families with school-age children begin
back-to-school preparations: books, supplies, new schedules and more as the
academic year gets underway. This annual tradition is usually associated with
children who attend school to learn new subjects and master concepts that will
prepare them for the future.
But
not everyone fits this model. While Allen County is fortunate to have excellent
academic options from preschool through college and beyond, there are 30,000 adults
without a high school degree or basic English proficiency skills; only 4% are
enrolled in a literacy program. These adults are more likely to be unemployed,
underemployed, impoverished or incarcerated, which can result in community
challenges such as an increased crime rate and decreased employment,
self-sufficiency and dignity.
Consider
these statistics:
•
One in nine adults in northeast Indiana does not have a high school diploma or
equivalent.
•
Adults without a high school diploma are twice as likely to live in poverty.
•
Adults without a high school diploma earn 42% less than adults with a diploma.
•
12% of adults in Allen County live in poverty.
•
43% of those in poverty don't have a high school diploma.
•
75% of inmates in Indiana don't have a high school diploma.
•
70,000 residents of northeast Indiana don't have a high school diploma; they
are among 500,000 such Indiana residents.
If
you are reading this, you are one of the lucky ones. Many thousands of adults
in our community struggle to read and comprehend the basic English necessary to
fill out a job application, fill out forms for their children's school or
medical records, or follow basic instructions. Literacy is key to many issues
facing our community. When you improve literacy, you affect many areas:
employment, public safety, health care and our economy.
The
Literacy Alliance works with
adults to improve skills in a variety of ways: obtain a high school equivalency
diploma, improve English-language efficiency, and obtain job-training and
skills certification. When individuals succeed in these areas, area employers
benefit by having more qualified applicants for their open jobs. READ
MORE >>
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