Literacy – Spanning North America :: Rathdrum ID :: Pittsboro NC :: Vancouver BC :: Farmington ME

Literacy: Spanning North America

Lakeland Literacy 

Project

Literacy For All, Large And Small

Coeur d'Alene Press: 9.20.2019 by Devin Weeks

Without the ability to comprehend the words on the pages of textbooks, tests and other reading materials, Jill Fletcher kept her head down in high school.

“I kept quiet and had my hair combed, nice clothes,” she said. “I stayed under the radar.”

And she stayed in that literacy struggle. Her mother and sister helped her with homework assignments and papers she was supposed to write.

“My mom did everything for me,” she said. “The teacher smiled because she knew I didn’t write them.”

Her teacher, who evidently lacked the resources or knowledge to help Fletcher learn, would let her off the hook.

She was placed in special-education classes because, growing up in Washington in the 1970s and ’80s, teachers just didn’t know what else to do. They classified her as dyslexic.

“In the ’70s, ’80s, dyslexia was kind of the big flash word. A lot of people who were struggling readers were thrown into dyslexia,” said Kat Gilmore, director of the Lakeland Literacy Project. “I’ve worked with adult literacy for seven to eight years before coming here, and most people were labeled dyslexic when they weren’t necessarily dyslexic.”

═════════►

In just a year working with the Lakeland Literacy Project, Fletcher has earned her driver’s license, registered to vote and is now taking classes at North Idaho College.  READ MORE >>

@chathamliteracy

Chatham Literacy Sees Avenues For Growth

Chatham News Record: 9.20.2019 by David Bradley

In archery, you must aim your arrow at the target before you release it. Without a target, you can’t aim your arrow.

Literacy service organizations have been working to find that target, and in a county the size and diversity of Chatham, the target isn’t always easy to find.

It’s tough to hit any unknown target, and with more than 25 organizations in Chatham County providing some level of literacy services, the target that they are trying to hit comes from the answers to these basic questions: What are the needs in the community? Who is meeting these needs? Who are we missing?

With these questions in mind, Linda Nalty, chairman of the Chatham Literacy Council’s board of directors, began a research project to find the bullseye.

After a meeting with provider agencies to discover needs for their clients, and where their clients go to address literacy needs, a survey was developed.

═════════►

There were some surprising results.

Newell said “a high percentage of those interviewed own smart phones, and a high percentage have access to the Internet, most through phones and many through libraries. There was a high interest and demonstrated needs for English, and financial literacy, how to obtain affordable housing, how to get a job, promotion, or better job.”  READ MORE >>

@Canucksforkids

Raise-a-Reader: Chilean-Canadian Mother of 10 Gets Needed Literacy Break

Vancouver Sun: 9.21.2019 by Susan Lazaruk

For a large, blended family of 12 with a sole breadwinner, an unexpected health scare that took Victor Vazquezm out of commission was devastating.

Devastating, for starters, to his wife Melissa Arancibia, who relies on a Canucks Family Education Centre (CFEC) program partly funded by The Vancouver Sun’s Raise-a-Reader campaign, to help improve her English.

Arancibia, who was born in Toronto but grew up in Chile, came to Vancouver 15 years as a young, single mother of three girls — Constanza, Maria and Aranxa — to live with her parents. She wanted to give her children a better life.

═════════►

‎Four years ago, Arancibia was accepted into CFEC’s English class and now she’s in the equivalent of Grade 11. She’s grateful for the chance not only to learn English, but also to have some adult interaction without which she would be isolated at home, she says.

But earlier this year, Vazquez lost his job as a pool-maintenance worker and a few weeks later had a heart attack and a triple bypass. When the family learned he would be off work for three to four months, Arancibia was stunned.

═════════►‎

@decodaliteracy

The literacy skills of almost half of British Columbians aged 16-65 may make it difficult for them to understand newspapers, follow instruction manuals, read health information, fill out a tax return, read a rental agreement or use a library catalogue, according to Decoda Literacy Solutions, B.C.’s provincial literacy organization.

And about half of the province’s population of the same age may have difficulty calculating interest on a car loan, using information on a graph or determining medicine dosage, says Decoda, which provides resources, training, funds and support for community-based literacy programs and initiatives in 400-plus B.C. communities.  READ MORE >>

LVFSC

Literacy Festival Kicks Off New Learning Center at Phillips Public Library

Daily Bulldog: 9.21.2019

A weekend of fall celebrations will kick-off on Friday night, Oct. 4 in the Phillips Public Library Studio building with an evening featuring folk singer Jan Benschop at 7 p.m. Admission is $10.

═════════►‎

This festival is also to kick-off the collaboration between the Phillips Public Library, Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties, and Franklin County Adult Education to introduce their new North Franklin County Learning Center site inside the library.  READ MORE >>

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Solano Co CA :: Boise/Garden City ID :: Palm Beach Co FL

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

@SolanoLibrary

Solano Public Library Seeks Adult Literacy Volunteers

Times-Herald: 8.18.2018

Janice Tingley went from practically illiterate to being a published author with help from the Solano County Public Library’s Literacy Program. She recently stopped by the Solano County Literacy office to drop off a copy of her children’s book, “Nolan’s Dream.”

“Literacy staff weren’t familiar with Janice, although they know most of the faces that come through the door every day,” an email statement said. “The reason that they didn’t recognize her, is because she is a former student that received tutoring at the library 20 years ago! Janice shared that when she started, she could barely read and struggled to write, but because of her tutor, she is now a published author and her book is carried in major retail outlets.”

The Solano County Literacy Program is looking for adult literacy volunteer tutors to help other students in our community achieve their dreams and reach their goals, they said.  READ MORE >>

@LearningLabID

Program Teaches Low-Income Families Literacy And Health

Idaho EdNews: 8.17.2018 by Andrew Reed

Eight-year-old Azza Mansour is playing “Busy Bingo,” a game that teaches her the importance of exercise by doing sit-ups, jumping jacks and pushups.

Across the hall her mother Hind is learning about exercise, but through reading and vocabulary.

By the end of the morning, Azza and Hind will join for 30 minutes to learn Zumba together. This is a family affair every Tuesday and Thursday at the Learning Lab, part of the Healthy Families summer program. Families take classes focused on improving health and literacy.

“This has been the best experience,” Hind said.

The Learning Lab is a literacy education center for low-income adults and families with young kids. During the summer, parents work on their literacy skills, while their kids engage in literacy learning activities.

“These adults are learning English for survival,” said Erika Warner, an adult educator. “I want my students to be independent and I want them to feel they belong here in Boise.”  READ MORE >>

@literacypbc

Writers shine in Literacy Showcase

Belle Glade Sun: 8.19.2018

This past spring, six residents from South Bay Correctional & Rehabilitation Facility (SBCRF) participated in an adult essay writing contest presented by the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. The purpose was to showcase the writing skills and talents of students enrolled in adult education programs. The topic of the essay was to write a letter to your younger self. Hundreds of essays throughout South Florida were submitted for a chance to be showcased at the annual reception held in the Hilton Palm Beach Airport in April.

Of the 80 awards distributed that evening, six were given to students from SBCRF — it was a first for correctional education as well as the institution. Cherry Doctor, ABE Instructor for SBCRF, was present at the ceremony and accepted the six awards on the inmate’s behalf. The goal for the following year is to double the number of entries and award winners as well.  READ MORE >>

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Boise ID :: Stanislaus Co CA :: Memphis TN

@LearningLabID

Much-loved Learning Lab marks 25 years of promoting adult literacy in Treasure Valley

Idaho Statesman: 1.02.2017 by Anna Webb

Learning Lab, a nonprofit learning and literacy center in the Treasure Valley, started with grassroots. Back in 1991, members of the Boise Junior League were thinking ahead to the new millennium, concerned about the changing nature of the workplace and the growing necessity for educated workers as jobs that didn’t require degrees and diplomas were becoming obsolete.

The Junior League founded the Learning Lab in a room at Boise Public Library. At that time, said current executive director Ann Heilman, the organization had one paid employee, four students and four volunteers. The community’s response to the literacy program, characterized by small classes and devoted volunteers, was immediate and positive, said Heilman.

“That suggested we’ve hit the sweet spot because here we are today, 25 years later,” Heilman said.

One sign of success and its role in the heart of the community? The upcoming annual fundraiser Lunch for Literacy on Feb. 3 is all but sold out with 1,000 ticket sales a month before the event.

“This is a lovely problem to have,” Heilman said.

A quarter century after it opened its doors, the Learning Lab has a bright, airy home in Garden City (308 E. 36th St.). It offers a variety of classes, including English language learning, GED prep, family literacy and more. It serves close to 400 students of all ages, has a full staff and more than 150 volunteer tutors. Many of the Learning Lab’s volunteers have stayed with the organization for more than a decade, some since its earliest years.  READ MORE @

Modesto-based literacy center needs volunteer tutors to help adults

Modesto Bee: 1.04.2017

LearningQuest – Stanislaus Literacy Centers needs 20 volunteers to meet the needs of people on a waiting list for a tutor.

“You can be part of educating an adult, which like tossing a stone in a pond will send out circles of impact to their whole family and to our community,” Executive Director Karen Williams said in a news release.

A tutor meets two times a week for about 90 minutes to help a student, 18 years or older, reach his or her goals. Many students would like to pass the test for a high school diploma. Some want to improve their reading and writing in English, and others have specific goals such as reading a book for the first time, passing their driver’s test or getting a promotion at work.

═════════►

“This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved with the community and help an adult learner reach a desired goal,” said Williams, who offered three examples of the students seeking tutors:  READ MORE @

@LiteracyMSouth 

Q&A with Knox Shelton 

New Literacy Mid-South director says illiteracy is a bigger problem than most think.

Memphis Flyer: 1.05.2017 by Micaela Watts

Literacy Mid-South, the nonprofit organization that hustles to provide literacy resources to Mid-Southerners regardless of age, has recently acquired a new executive director, Knox Shelton.

Shelton, who visited Memphis frequently as a child with his family, told his mother at the age of 6 that he would move to our fair city as an adult. After graduating from college, he made good on his promise and secured a job with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis.

Shelton became immediately immersed in what he describes as collaborative and innovative efforts by nonprofits all over town that had the overarching goal of addressing systemic problems among the disenfranchised.

The work of LM especially caught his eye, and when the opportunity to join the organization arose, Shelton jumped on it. The former interim and now permanent director of LM sat down with The Memphis Flyer to talk about the state of literacy in Memphis, and how he plans to continue advocating for a literate city. — Micaela Watts

Flyer: In your assessment, what is the level of literacy in Memphis, for children and adults, right now?

Knox Shelton: It's terrifying. A lot of progress is being made, but some of the most recent scores released by the state of Tennessee show that, yes, some progress is being made in some of our schools, but we are nowhere near where we need to be. For adults, I didn't realize just how many adults were struggling to read. I didn't know that one in seven Memphians were reading at or below a third-grade level. READ MORE @