Showing posts with label Newsletters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newsletters. Show all posts

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Literacy ▬ Spanning North America :: Texarkana AR :: Calexico CA :: Ardmore OK :: Edmonton AB

Literacy In The News :: Spanning North America

@ARadultlearn

Literacy Council Wins Pair Of Awards
Texarkana Gazette: 5.21.2021

The Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties won two awards during the Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas' conference Friday.

The Literacy Council won for Innovative Project of the Year and Student of the Year, two of the six awards the ALA gives annually to outstanding adult learning programs in Arkansas.

Innovative Project of the Year was awarded for a program developed by Myesha Holmes-Thomas, a student intern for the Literacy Council who is completing a master's degree in social work at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. For this project, she initiated a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Human Services to help serve local families.

Student of the Year was awarded to Denise Anderson, a Literacy Council student who worked hard to gain literacy skills and at age 56 read her first book in December.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)

 

ALS program
Camarena Library 
▬ Tutor Spotlight: Kimberly Valenzuela
THE LITERACY CIRCLE: May 2021

Q: How has your experience been so far as a tutor?

A:  My experience so far has been really good. I enjoy helping people learn new skills that they can use to achieve their personal goals. It is also a very rewarding experience being part of a learner's progress through the ALS program. It is such a good feeling hearing back from my learners on how they implement the skills they learned in their daily lives.

Q: Give three reasons why being a tutor might influence an adult member in your community struggling with literacy skills.

A:  Whether it is reading the morning newspaper, applying for a job, or communicating with doctors, a tutor can help a learner achieve these goals. Another reason is by prioritizing their needs in a one-to-one setting. Sometimes it is difficult to keep up in a class with 20 other students with different goals, while working with a tutor focuses on the learner’s individual goals, level, and pace.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 9
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old
(Eighth and Ninth graders)



@ArdLitLead
Ardmore Literacy Leadership Celebrates Graduates From Partner Organizations
Daily Ardmoreite: 5.22.2021 by Michael D. Smith

During a graduation season full of high school and college commencement ceremonies, one ceremony this week stood out with a collection of graduates from area literacy groups. The Ardmore Literacy Leadership on Thursday recognized learners for completing their high school diploma, GED, English as a Second Language, Spanish language or U.S. citizenship test.

Over 100 guests were on hand at the Colvert Ministry Center to celebrate the graduates including families, tutors and other supporters. Oklahoma Rep. Mauree Turner, an Ardmore native, provided a recorded camessage and Ardmore City Commissioner John Credle addressed those in attendance. 

ALL organizations represented on Thursday included Ardmore Family Literacy, Ardmore Public Library, New Dimension Literacy Council, Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley, and St. Mary Catholic Church.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 12
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old
(Twelfth graders)

 

@palsedmonton

PALS Has Been Changing Lives Through Literacy Since 1979
Edmonton Journal: 5.25.2021 by Fish Griwkowsky

Though he lived in Edmonton as a child, Greece-born Nicholas Koronios spent most of his life in Athens — returning to Canada in 2016 when he was 24.

Back in Europe, he spoke English with his mother after coming home from school and soccer, pretty basic stuff like, “Hello,” or “Are you hungry?”

“I thought I knew some things. But in reality,” the now 29-year-old Edmontonian admits with a laugh, “I didn’t really know anything.”

Koronios was hardly alone in the city, struggling with a language that throws the homonyms there, their and they’re at us randomly on a daily basis, tripping up a good number of lifelong Canadians, as well.

🔽
“I thought, what can I do to better myself, right?”

On top of being able to communicate in a way it’s so easy to take for granted, Koronios wanted to be an electrician, maybe a police officer.

“So what do those jobs require? Number one: English.

“So the first thing was like, ‘Oh, crap, I need a tutor. I’ve got to pay big money.’ And you know, I didn’t even have a job.

“How could I afford that?”

Enter Project Adult Literacy Society — the friendly-sounding PALS for short.

Running in the city since 1979, the mostly volunteer organization quietly does some of the most noble work in Edmonton: increasing our ability to communicate. And, most importantly, the program is free.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 7
Reading Level: fairly easy to read.
Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old
(Sixth and Seventh graders)


Sunday, May 23, 2021

Literacy ▬ Spanning the USA :: National City CA :: Oswego NY :: Marshall TX :: Wichita Falls TX

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

In 1978, I worked at the International Center for Language Studies in Bogota, as an ESL instructor during an extended stay in Colombia. I found the experience rewarding and the eagerness learners displayed inspiring. On my return to the U.S., I enrolled in college, met my future husband, and life continued. Nonetheless, I remembered with fondness my experience teaching ESL to learners, ranging in age 18 to 60, who were seeking employment as flight attendants, in the field of hospitality and tourism to established corporate executives to retirees, stay-at-home mothers, and other delightful individuals.

An ESL Opening and Literacy Services:
Fast-forward to January 2018. An email I received from the literacy services at the National City Public Library highlighted an opening for a volunteer ESL tutor. On the spot, I applied. After orientation, I was asked to lead a class. I entered the classroom with a flutter of butterflies in my stomach, but instantly, I felt at ease. Soon after, I was assigned to tutor a learner preparing for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam. Within a few months, a learner skilled with computers joined, then the third learner, and a wonderful ESL trio was formed. Shortly thereafter, I was offered a group of learners for an evening class followed by another group for a morning class, and the fun amplified.

🔽
Why I Recommend Tutoring:
Whether an individual is a tutor or a learner, everyone has something to contribute. Seek tutoring in math, ESL, computer readiness, writing classes, as well as unconventional classes, such as driver’s license and citizenship test preparation—knowledge is key. I often share with learners: as I am getting older, the more I realize there is still a great deal for me to learn.

Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change.
Learning is more than absorbing facts, it is acquiring understanding.

READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 10
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old
(Ninth to Tenth graders)

 

@OCOtweetspot

Oswego County Opportunities Honors LVOC Tutors
Oswego County Today: 4.26.2021

Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Literacy Volunteers of Oswego County tutors were named co-recipient of OCO’s prestigious Howard Wilcox Volunteer of the Year Award.

Established in memory of a very special OCO volunteer, the Howard Wilcox Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to a volunteer that goes above and beyond in offering their time and talents to an OCO program.

Literacy Volunteers of
Oswego County
Literacy Volunteers of Oswego County (LVOC) provides one-to-one tutoring to adults seeking assistance in reading and math. LVOC’s Literacy Leaders team is comprised of eight volunteer tutors. These dedicated individuals provide weekly tutoring services in reading, writing, math, English speaking, computer, and workplace skills to adult students to assist them in reaching their educational and employment goals. Tutors develop individualized learning plans taught at a pace that works best for the student.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented the LVOC program and its tutors with a number of obstacles. The transition to distance learning was not an easy one but the tutors stepped up to overcome those obstacles and provided a variety of remote learning options tailored to each student’s technological capabilities. From Zoom and Go-To meetings to delivering learning packets to students and tutoring via telephone, the tutors did what was needed to continue to help students meet their literacy goals. As a result the LVOC program and its students have thrived during a very challenging time.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)

 

Marshall Harrison County Literacy Council Works To Help Community Members
Marshall News Messenger: 4.28.2021 by Jessica Harker

When Marshall citizens were forced indoors a year ago due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, many community members chose to take the time to further their education.

Whether it was to improve their job prospects, or to fulfill a personal goal, the Marshall Harrison County Literacy Council supplied the tools these community members needed to get their General Educational Development certificate, or GED’s.

“People don’t finish high school for a huge variety of reasons, and when they come into the office interested in getting their GED, that already is such a huge step,” said director Karen Bickerdike.

She said that the difference in wages from somebody with a GED and someone without one is about $4 or $5 an hour.

“A lot of people decided that when they had time, they were going to seize the opportunity and try for their GED,” Bickerdike said.

🔽
“One third of Harrison County is low literate or what we call ‘functionally literate’,” Bickerdike said. “That can be stressful, and burdensome for someone to deal with every day.”  READ MORE ➤➤

Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


Wichita Adult Literacy Council Says Through Donations Tutors Can Empower Their Students
Texomas Homepage: 4.28.2021 by Shatanya Clarke

According to the Wichita Adult Literacy Council officials, one in five adults in Wichita County is at the lowest literacy level.

They’re working to change that, but they say they need more volunteers and donations.

Nikki Schwartz, board vice president of the Wichita Adult Literacy Council said she enjoys being a part of an organization that supports the advancement of individuals in the community.

“We’ve seen people who just want to read the bible, we help save people, we help people be a better parent, be a better employee which in turn helps our community,” Schwarts said.

Executive Director Carla Arinder said the sole purpose of WALC is to improve the literacy skills of each individual it serves all while promoting awareness of the literacy issues within the community.

“We predominantly have students here in Wichita Falls but we do have about an 11 county range,” Arinder said.

🔽
Officials with the organization said they were forced to cancel two major fundraisers because of the pandemic hence they’ve seen a $40,000 decrease in what it generally takes to keep the doors open.

“This past year, the year of COVID we still were able to provide over 5,000 hours of tutoring services,” Arinder said. “The year before in 2019 we were able to do almost twelve thousand so it was cutting in half.”  WATCH 02:19


Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


Sunday, May 2, 2021

Literacy ▬ Spanning North America :: Placentia CA :: Wilmington DE :: Farmington ME :: Saint John NB

Literacy In The News :: Spanning North America

Isha shares her experience tutoring her learner, Marisela:

As a college student involved in creative writing, poetry, and teaching English literacy, I strive to make every meeting with my student Maricela very engaging and inspiring.

When Maricela first joined the library’s literacy program, she was eager and ready to dive straight into goal-oriented lessons, go page by page in the workbook, and learn flashcards. Though this progressed well, I realized that introducing her to some light reading, poetry, and current events could be a major breakthrough for her understanding of English. With this in mind, we started planning out all the activities we could do together on Zoom all while staying safe at home.

While preparing for her citizenship exam and interview, Maricela has been especially interested in the current issues regarding the US election and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the topics that made headlines this past year were not always uplifting. Together, Maricela and I chose to balance this by splitting our time between reading the news, and reading a short story or poem that reflects a positive outlook on life and learning.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)

 

@litdelaware

Delaware's Literacy Advocates Seek New Volunteers
Delaware News Journal Letters to the Editor: 4.13.2021 by C Laveglia

I’m writing to invite my fellow Delawareans to help Literacy Delaware fulfill its mission of empowering adult learners to realize their potential as confident, self-sufficient and productive employees, family members and contributors to their communities. Literacy Delaware trains volunteer tutors to work with learners at mutually convenient times.

I was interested in teaching ESL and found Literacy Delaware through a course I took through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. After completing my training, I was matched with Paco, a musician from Senegal.

Paco speaks English pretty well but reading and writing are greater challenges. In working with Paco, I learned he enjoys biographies, texts provided by Literacy Delaware geared towards beginning readers.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: very difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)


LVFSC

Literacy Volunteers Announces Winners Of Poetry Contest
Daily Bulldog: 4.16.2021

Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties announces the winners of the eleventh annual Literacy Volunteers Poetry Contest, sponsored by Western Maine Financial Services and Susan and Fritz Onion. LVFSC wishes to thank all of the contributing poets, and the judge, Laine Kuehn.

🔽
Students of Literacy Volunteers
First Place: Anna Crockett, Pinewood Angels
Second Place: Joanna Ladd, Learning in Important to Me
Third Place: Lorrie Chicoine, My Dog Casey Rae

Pinewood Angels, by Anna Crocket

The three angles at Pinewood
Were Rosie, Betty and myself
As Sus left for the day she said
“My residents are safe my angel team is here watching over them’
I love them, enjoyed being in their life
Taking care of the residents
Just small thing made them happy
Like set the radio station.
Make molasses cookies.
Putting good smelly lotion on them
Take time to give a smile and a touch
Sit and talk to them
I said to my friend
‘I was a angel’
She said ‘not you a Anna a angel’
Ask Sus ‘If I was a angel
Rosie and Betty were angels too
I remembered it was a good feeling
To take care of the residents
It takes a special person
To be an angel
The angels live on forever
Our residents are angels
In heaven watching over
The pinewood angels
Anna , Betty and Rosie.

Learning is Important to Me, by Joanna Ladd

I come here to be taught different things.
I come to learn how to do poems.  
I keep learning because I think it is fun.
I keep learning to prove to myself I can graduate. 
When learn I feel like need to learn a lot more than what I do. 

My Dog Casey Rae, by Lorrie Chicoine

I got my dog at
8 weeks old
She was a spoil rotten Dog she was a
Good dog.

The collection of winning poems are published on the LVFSC website and will also be published in a poetry chapbook.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)

 

@readsaintjohn

READ Saint John Raises Literacy Awareness Through Fundraiser
Country 94: 4.16.2021 by Elizabeth MacLeod

Non-profit volunteer organization READ Saint John’s “Lotto for Literacy” campaign and updated website and social platforms are helping mark a brand new chapter in its commitment to adult literacy.

Vice President of READ Saint John, Josh Adams says the focus is on helping adult learners with literacy and basic math skills through one-on-one, confidential tutoring.

“The reality is for so many of our learners, they’ve got these practical goals that they want to reach,” says Adams.  “Sometimes it’s about being able to encourage your child to become a bookworm and read to them and sometimes it’s the practical life goals, things like getting a driver’s permit or carrying through with being able to help children read.”

🔽
@LaubachNB
Laubach Literacy NB reports more than 50 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 16 and older, (or approximately 300,000 people in the province), are at either literacy Level 1, (having few basic skills great difficulty with text), or Level 2, (having limited skills and cannot read well).  READ MORE ➤➤
 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 15
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: College graduate


Tuesday, April 27, 2021

7 Nonprofit Newsletter Tips & Best Practices – Fundraising E-Newsletters ▬ Donor Box

7 Nonprofit Newsletter Tips & Best Practices – Fundraising E-Newsletters

E-Newsletters
Donor Box: 11.26.2020 by Raj

For decades, nonprofits and other social impact organizations have been using monthly, bimonthly, and weekly newsletters to update their supporters about their latest events and achievements.

While the aim of newsletters has pretty much remained the same, the method of delivery has evolved. Newsletters are no longer sent to our mailboxes, but to our inboxes.

A nonprofit newsletter is an effective way to communicate and engage with volunteers and potential donors. The objective of a nonprofit newsletter is to convert subscribers to nonprofit volunteers and update prospective donors with the latest information & news happening around your nonprofit.

When executed properly, a nonprofit newsletter will help you get regular support for your nonprofit’s cause and mission, get engagement and traffic to your nonprofit website and maintain a relationship with your supporters and volunteers.

Sending newsletters is quick and affordable, but it also makes it easier for readers to simply ignore them.

Newsletters have been chastised for being a thing of the past, but study after study puts email marketing as the most effective way for nonprofits to build awareness, acquire leads, convert prospects, and retain current customers, even after compared to social media.

An email address is extremely valuable because it provides you with a direct line of access to your subscribers. In exchange, they expect content that is valuable, engaging, and relevant.

🔽

Top 7 Nonprofit Newsletter Tips & Best Practices

Clean Up Your Email List

Keep Consistent

Pay Attention to Design

Think About Your Subject Line

Make Your Content Useful

Keep it Concise

Think Social and Shareable

READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level