Literacy In The News :: Spanning North America
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TCU News: 10.27.2020
Though
social distancing protocols during the pandemic changed the look of Luise
Hauptmann’s internship with the Tarrant Literacy Coalition, they haven’t limited the impact of her
experience.
“Coming
into TCU, I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to be after graduation, so
getting a foot into the world of employment has been an invaluable experience,”
said Hauptmann, a junior political science/women and gender studies double
major from Waxahachie. “Furthermore, it brings me a lot of joy to see just how my
work influences the lives of fellow Tarrant County residents in a positive way.
Adult education is important because it leads to better outcomes in all areas
of a person’s life.”
A
marketing and programming intern, Hauptmann creates posters, emails and lawn
signs as well as helps design programming for Tarrant Literacy Coalition’s
students — all virtually from her Fort Worth apartment.
“I have conducted interviews over Zoom with various volunteers, and I have created a quarterly newsletter that goes out to donors. Basically, if there is a need, I will figure out how to get it done,” she said. “I definitely think of myself as a jack of all trades, so it has been very fun having a variety of ever-changing tasks. Though I haven’t been able to meet with any students face-to-face due to COVID-19, it motivates me to know I am facilitating something positive in someone’s life.” READ MORE ➤➤
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Oakland North: 10.27.2020 by Bashirah Mack
Riley
Mitchell loves to cook. When the 55-year-old isn’t bragging about making the
“best potato salad this side of the Mississippi,” Mitchell enjoys cozying up
with a good book. Since the pandemic, Mitchell started to re-read classics like
The Color Purple, mostly for pleasure. But since the library where Mitchell
took adult literacy classes closed, being able to revisit some of his favorite
books has helped him maintain his hard-won reading skills.
“When
they first shut it down, I shut down too. It seemed like the pandemic tried to
shut my goal down,” Mitchell says. “But I can proudly say, my tutor and I found
a way that we can see each other once a week.”
Mitchell
learned to read at Oakland Public Library’s Second Start adult
literacy program. The program, which is free and open to the
public, has been around for over 35 years. With the help of volunteer tutors,
adult learners between the elementary and middle school level receive
one-on-one support during weekly sessions to meet their reading, writing and
math goals. Mitchell is one of thousands of Oakland residents whose adult
literacy classes were complicated by the pandemic.
Kelly Frasier, senior literacy assistant of Second Start, says the program has served adult students from across a spectrum, including English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, persons in transition from prison, adults with learning disabilities, and older African Americans who received substandard education during and after Jim Crow. Black people make up 82% of the participants in the program. READ MORE ➤➤
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Times of San Diego: 10.26.2020 by Christine Huard
The San
Diego Public Library Foundation announced a series of initiatives
Monday aimed at expanding technological access for the county’s most vulnerable
residents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation has
funded three initiatives to provide computer access for those who lack
broadband internet during a time when the pandemic has made it a necessity for
school and work.
According to the
foundation, about 100,000 children lack internet access, primarily among those
living in the southern and northeastern parts of the county.
One initiative
expands on a program to provide technology that students need for remote
learning, which began by giving out 240 Chromebooks.
Computers have also been donated to participants in the San Diego Public Library’s Career Online High School program and its READ/San Diego adult literacy program. The library foundation said both programs lost access to computer labs when the pandemic led to library closures. READ MORE ➤➤
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High River Times: 10.28 2020 by Dan Marcinkowski
The Literacy
for Life Foundation, who shut down operations in December 2019
due to reduced funding they were receiving over the previous couple of years,
started operations once again in September.
With a new board,
the committee has decided to focus on offering programs virtually, because of
COVID-19. The programs have the same focus as always in building the essential
literacy skills needed to lead a successful life in family, work and community.
“We were excited to get going again,” said Executive Director Nicole Levesque.
There has been a
challenge re-connecting with the community.
“Having our doors
closed for six months and not offering programs, and also with COVID-19, there
has been a challenge for us re-connecting not only with potential learners that would come to
us, but even our community partners, who are also feeling the struggles and are
not meeting with their clients as much,” said Levesque.
“Getting the word
out and letting everyone know we are open again has definitely been a
challenge.”
Fall programs are all virtually done on ZOOM. READ MORE ➤➤
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