Literacy – Spanning the US :: Wichita Falls TX :: Kinston NC :: Elizabethton TN :: Allentown PA

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

WALC

WALC Book Fair Finds New Home at MPEC This Weekend
Newstalk 1290: 3.03.2021 by Dave Diamond

The Wichita Falls Adult Literacy Council is saying this book fair will have double the books and triple the space of their previous events.

The 21st annual WALC Book Fair is this Thursday through Saturday and it's in a brand new location. For several years the book fairs have been held at the Sikes Lake Center building at Midwestern State University. The room was filled with rows of tables filled with books and just enough space for readers to wander through and find their treasures. This year the Book Fair will be held in the Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall at the MPEC. That means the WALC will have a lot more space to work with so shoppers can spread out and maintain some social distancing as they browse.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 9

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old

(Eighth and Ninth graders)

 

@neuselibrary

Greene Library Outreach Helps Adults Improve Literacy Skills
Reflector: 3.04.2021

When it comes to community resources, the Greene County Public Library takes pride in having it all: internet access, job assistance, community spaces, you name it. One of our first and foremost objectives is to promote literacy. To that end, we would like to ask this question: would you or someone you know like assistance with improving your reading, writing or other essential functions? If so, we invite you to come and register for our Literacy Without Barriers Adult Literacy Program.

Throughout the past year and into the upcoming spring season, one of the objectives of the Neuse Regional Libraries has been to help increase the literacy skills through strategic partnerships with community entities and the educational expertise of our librarians. This dream has been made tangible due to a $29,121 grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Due to the abundant provisions of this grant, we have been able to make our library a free tutoring center for adults who need assistance in enhancing their basic life skills.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 16

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

RSM

Local Program Seeks Tutors To Continue Work With Adult Learners And Literacy
Elizabethton: 3.03.2021

A local project that pairs high school students who desire to be teachers with adult learners who want help with literacy skills needs a helping hand.

Adult tutors are needed to work with the adult learners who are part of the faith-based recovery program, Recovery Soldiers Ministry (RSM), in Elizabethton.

The high school students create specialized literacy packets for each adult learner which are then sent to the adult learners, and tutors are just needed to provide hands-on help for the adult learners as they move through the packets.

The program was born when RSM founder and director, Josh Scalf, approached Alex Campbell, who works at Elizabethton High School, about the literacy needs of some of his residents.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

 

@TLCAllentown

Talking Business with Tina Hamilton: Developing Skills For The Remote Workforce
The Morning Call: 3.05.2021 by Tina Hamilton

A few weeks ago, many of you witnessed a viral video of a lawyer who got stuck on a Zoom kitten filter during a virtual court case. He is attempting to talk to a judge while his face is a kitten looking side to side.

While it was entertaining, the reality is that technology is a struggle for remote workers who are not accustomed to managing technology independently from home.

The people who struggle range from managers and hourly workers who aren’t technologically adept, to executives who no longer have an assistant sitting nearby to fix their technology mishaps. Even digital natives who can operate the technology often grapple with how to communicate effectively across them.

🔽
There are solutions for those willing to make a change and upgrade their skills. One of the best kept secrets in the Lehigh Valley is The Literacy Center. Many know of the not-for-profit The Literacy Center is offering English as a Second Language classes and GED instruction, classes it has provided for decades.

It also offers training to advance the skills of anyone in the local workforce.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

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)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Chicago IL :: Calexio CA : Greenfield MA :: Wilmington NC

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@ChiCityLiteracy

Connecting Adult Learners with Resources for Education & Employment
McCormick Foundation: 11.09.2020

The Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition was formed in 2003 to advocate for the improvement of adult literacy programs. Today, the organization works closely with workforce development organizations and gathers resources for adult education organizations to increase their capacity. The CCLC strives to help underserved adult learners improve their quality of life and become economically successful through educational programs involving technology and health literacy, the Career Pathways program, and continued literacy advocacy.

=When the CCLC recognized the declining number of adult education programs on the South Side of Chicago, which approximately 250,000 adults could benefit from, the organization took action to launch the South Side Career Pathways Collaborative in 2019 and created an organized career pathway system for the community.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 20

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

Camarena Library

Reflections on COVID-19
Adult Literacy on the Border: 8.04.2020 Clara Auyon

Today's post comes from Clara Auyon who has been in the ALS program for a couple of years now. With the guidance of literacy staff, she decided to participate in the California COVID Diaries project from the California State Library and California Library Literacy Services, and these are her reflections on the impact that COVID-19 has had on her life.

How has your life changed?

My life changed because I had to reorganize my day to day trying to fulfill my personal and professional activities without leaving home. Being in contact with my family, friends, neighbors, virtually, no longer hugging, kissing, meeting or sharing important dates with them in person. We had to implement all the hygiene protocols inside and outside the house, with food and not food as indicated by health authorities. Being at home all day we had to create new activities to fill our free time.

How have you changed?

It made me even more sensitive to the reality experienced by the most vulnerable people, valuing and enjoying what I have, my husband, my kids, my friends, my work, recognizing and investing every minute in what is really worthy, thanking God for being alive, for giving me faith and hope in these difficult times, for having a roof, food. Continuing working to be a better person, more committed to help others.

Important highlights: any silver linings?

We spend more time with my children, family thru WhatsApp, Zoom, etc. I am very happy to share more time with my husband. Before I only saw him Monday to Friday from 10 pm to 8 am. We have time to sharing activities that we like, cooking, watching movies, talking about politics, technology, etc.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

Literacy Project

The Literacy Project To Continue Remote Learning Through Spring
Recorder: 11.15.2020 by Anita Fritz

The Literacy Project’s executive director says “surprising” and “wonderful” aren’t words most people associate with a pandemic, but for its adult students, forced remote learning has provided new opportunities for success.

“We knew from the start that our success depended on getting computers to our students and getting them connected online,” Executive Director Judith Roberts said. “Our donors stepped up to help us do just that.”

An adult literacy and high school equivalency program in Greenfield, Orange, Amherst, Northampton and Ware, The Literacy Project moved quickly in the spring to offer its classes online. Students now have the opportunity to study at home any time of the day. The program recently announced it will continue to teach classes remotely for the rest of the school year.

Since mid-March, when the pandemic hit the area, The Literacy Project has provided 66 laptops to students, allowing them to study from home or wherever they’d like. The agency also supplied dozens of calculators, workbooks, notebooks and novels for classes to read together.

The program’s students attend classes through Zoom video conferences and do math problems at home using Google Classroom. Roberts said teachers work from home, providing educational opportunities and points of connection with students.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

 

@cfliteracy

Bridging The Digital Divide
Wilmington Biz: 11.16.2020 by Erin Payne, Dir FD- Cape Fear Literacy Council

We exist in a digitized world, and the COVID-19 pandemic has placed particular emphasis on the level of digital literacy and access to digital resources required to execute the essential aspects of our daily existence. For many low-income families, seniors, and immigrants, this new reality is challenging to negotiate.

Well before the pandemic emerged, Cape Fear Literacy Council (CFLC) and many of its community partners recognized these critical disparities in digital access and education across the Cape Fear region. CFLC has a 35-year history of providing effective, personalized education to adults through one-on-one tutoring and small classes.

Like so many other organizations and businesses, the pandemic has forced us to rethink our priorities and reimagine the way we provide services. Our goal is to continue to provide our students with high-quality educational experiences in Adult Literacy, English as a Second Language, Citizenship, GED Preparation, and of course, Digital Literacy. Our hope is that we can use this opportunity to help bridge the gap so many of our students are experiencing as they try to connect to an increasingly online world.

Recently, CFLC has been operating on a hybrid model. Our facility is open on an appointment-only basis for tutor pairs who lack computer access or the digital skills to work remotely. However, for safety reasons, all multi-person classes are being offered online, and many one-on-one pairs are also meeting remotely. As we look to the near future, and see our COVID numbers rising, we are taking this opportunity to provide computer orientations to our students, so they can establish email addresses and connect to classes online.

We are also providing training to tutors, so they can use Zoom or other video platforms to continue to teach. Recently, the Literacy Council was fortunate to receive a grant award from The Landfall Foundation for remote-learning equipment, technology, and data packages – thus allowing us to provide access for learners in digitally-vulnerable areas.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

Middle-Skill Jobs ▬ States Should Target Digital Skills Gaps as Economy Transforms ▬ Gov Tech

States Should Target Digital Skills Gaps as Economy Transforms

Middle-Skill Jobs

Gov Tech: 8.03.2020

A new Benton Foundation report advises states to address digital skills training as part of regional economic development strategies in order to fill the middle-skill jobs of the future.

The report, released today and written by Technology Policy Institute senior fellow John B. Horrigan, explains that the overwhelming majority of middle-skill jobs, which are positions that require some college education (such as a certificate or two-year degree), will involve digital skills.

This fact is concerning because an estimated one-third of American workers, according to the National Skills Coalition, don’t have the skill to “learn a wide variety of today’s technologies and navigate continued changes in the future.” Meanwhile, the middle-skill job market shows no signs of slowing down.

“[By] 2022, the economy is projected to demand 3.4 million more middle-skill workers than what the labor force can provide,” the report said.

The more that technology advances in general, the more that middle-skill jobs will require digital literacy. The report also points to evidence that COVID-19 will reshape the economy. A working paper from the Becker Friedman Institute estimates that between 32 and 42 percent of “COVID-induced layoffs will be permanent.” New jobs in areas like online shopping and teleservices will most likely require digital literacy.

“Typical examples of middle-skill jobs include clerical or administrative positions, sales, construction, repair/installation, and health care technicians,” the Benton report said. “This is not just about sales transactions using online apps or office work requiring knowledge of Google or Microsoft products. Food-safety training relies on virtual reality in some organizations, while in agribusinesses, food-packaging workers have to coordinate with robots.”

To prepare everyday Americans for these significant changes in the job market, the report asserts that states need to do more than target broadband access in underserved communities.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry) 

Literacy – Spanning North America :: North Port FL :: Sarasota FL :: Charlottetown PE :: Vernon BC

Literacy In The News :: Spanning North America

Literacy Volunteers 

S Sarasota Co

Lessons In Life, North Port Volunteers Helping Foreign Language Adults
Your Sun: 9.26.2020 by Craig Garrett

Mary Seyler is teaching a literacy class.

The retired New Jersey educator is into Lesson 2: The Family Reunion, a simple story that helps adults with intermediate English skills.

“Obnoxious … what does that mean?” Mary asked one student pages into the Lesson 2 workbook.

Pausing to gather her thoughts, the student in a thick accent responded: “Not pleasant,” to which Seyler and others in the class crack up laughing.

While there’s nothing unusual about older immigrants picking up literacy skills, what’s new is the virtual platform — the students are on laptop screens as a masked Seyler on her laptop glides through Lesson 2 of the workbook.

One student, in fact, was in Poland while the others were in their North Port homes, on their couches tucked away from COVID-19.

Seyler and others are tutors with Start Now! North Port, affiliated with Literacy Volunteers of South Sarasota County. Because of COVID-19, tutors use video platforms to run their classes.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

 

@GoodwillFL

Goodwill Manasota Provides ESOL Classes For Its Employees

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 9.29.2020 by Sharon Kunkel

In an effort to help its employees succeed in work and life, Goodwill Manasota is offering virtual ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes each week for team members whose primary language is not English. These classes, which are taught by instructors provided by the Literacy Council of Sarasota, are provided while employees are on the clock, at no cost to them.

Literacy Council 

Sarasota

Goodwill GoodPartner Coach Pamela Bavo reports that, this year, Goodwill Manasota employs 73 team members who do not speak English as their primary language. She notes that many employees with limited English language proficiency come from diverse work histories – including engineers, pharmacists or veterinarians – who can’t pursue those careers here because of the language barrier or because their credentials don’t meet U.S. requirements.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

 

@PEILiteracy

New Program On P.E.I. Mails Free Books To Kids 5 And Under
CBC: 9.30.2020 by Sheehan Desjardins

The P.E.I. Literacy Alliance launched a new program Wednesday that mails books to kids under the age of five for free.

"We're really excited to bring this program to P.E.I.," said Amanda Beazley, the family literacy director with the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance.

"We've had our eye on it for a while."

@dollyslibrary

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program provides free books to kids in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Republic of Ireland and Canada.

'There's no charge at all,' says Amanda Beazley with the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance. 'The books are high quality, they're age appropriate.' (CBC)

Currently, Beazley said funding is in place to supply books to 2,000 children across the Island. But, the plan over the next three years is to grow that number to 4,000.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 5

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 8-9 yrs. old

(Fourth and Fifth graders)

 

Literacy Society 

Vernon

North Okanagan Literacy Society Raises Readers
Keremeos Review: 9.30.2020 by Jennifer Smith

The North Okanagan Literacy Society is doing just that, and is gaining support from the Post Media Raise-a-Reader, the Vernon Morning Star and Decoda Literacy Solutions Society. Together, they are meeting these challenges locally through the important Raise-a-Reader donation campaign.

@decodaliteracy

“This year has been particularly hard on students and families,” society executive director Wendy Aasen said. “We are very eager to fill all the learning gaps that we can, but more importantly, the Post Media Raise-a-Reader campaign presents an opportunity for the community to show children and families that they care about their futures, too. We all have a stake in raising readers.”

The Literacy Society is working to support students and families at community locations (with school and library access limited).  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

Changing Lives For The Better Through Adult Education ▬ TSPR

Changing Lives For The Better Through Adult Education

TSPR: 10.23.2019 by Cyndi Johnston, ESL- Literacy Coord, Spoon River College-Macomb

Without a high school diploma, opportunities in life are limited. Finding a job can be more challenging; unemployment rates are much higher; and pay above minimum wage is unlikely. Generally, minimum wage isn't even enough to pay monthly bills and provide for a family. So, to make ends meet, individuals are often forced to work two jobs, often part-time, and without medical benefits.

Among those between the ages of 18-24, high school dropouts are more than twice as likely as college graduates to live in poverty according to the Department of Education. Those without a diploma experienced a poverty rate of 31 percent while those with at least a bachelor’s degree had a poverty rate of 14 percent. Having only enough money to pay rent, utility bills, and put gas in a car leaves very little leftover for food.

The average high school dropout can expect to earn an average income [BLS] of around $20,000 according to the U. S. Census Bureau. That’s a full $10,000 less than the typical high school graduate and $36,000 less than someone with a bachelor’s degree.

Opportunities in the United States are also limited if for those not proficient in the English language. Most employers require from their employees a high level of speaking, reading, and often writing in English.  LISTEN 04:43

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 9

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old

(Eighth and Ninth graders)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Azusa CA :: Kokomo IN :: Butte MT

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

Citizenship Specialist Speaks About Our Inspired Citizenship Program Now Being Virtual
Azusa Adult Literacy Podcasts: 2020

Inspired Citizenship

According to the U.S. Census, nearly 1-third of Azusa residents were born outside the United States. The goal of our Inspired Citizenship program is to empower our community and encourage stronger civic participation for all City of Azusa residents. The immigrant community often faces barriers to citizenship, due to low or interrupted education levels and limited English proficiency.  

Created by the Azusa City Library, Inspired Citizenship is a program to help adults prepare to become United States citizens. The library offers special information workshops to help you and your family achieve your dreams of becoming U.S. citizens

Due to COVID-19, our weekly classes have transitioned into a virtual service.

PODCASTS

The Adult Literacy program has developed a podcast of quick, insights into our tutor programs. The following episodes are of volunteer tutors and learners from the different programs we offer.

The Adult Literacy program offers four programs our Adult Basic Literacy program, Grassroots ESL, Leamos and Inspired Citizenship.  LISTEN 04:49

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders) 

@BonaVista

Bona Vista Partners With The Literacy Coalition

Kokomo Perspective: 9.23.2020 by Tiffany Damitz

Bona Vista is celebrating a new opportunity for the WorkForce Diversity program through a recent partnership with the Literacy Coalition.

@LitCoKokomo

The WorkForce Diversity division of Bona Vista’s community services helps individuals with disabilities with career placement. When Teresa began in the program in January she was seeking a new occupation. Her husband passed away last year, and she wanted to start on a fresh path toward a new career.

Teresa utilizes services through the Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation program, which assists people to prepare for and attain employment. Her job coaches, Courtney Butler and Erin Durr, wanted to first identify Teresa’s areas of interest; the primary career interests identified were teaching the English language and literacy.

With an occupational field identified, Teresa began to work on setting goals to lead her toward this career. Durr recently assisted Teresa in the Indiana University Kokomo application process in order to pursue a degree in English. A college degree will provide the foundation for a career in teaching these skills, as well as the confidence and credentials Teresa seeks in her career path.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 14

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old

(college level)

 

Butte Literacy

Butte Literacy Program Sees An Uptick In Student Enrollment

MT Standard: 9.26. 2020 by Kristine de Leon

One of the fastest growing groups in town these days is the Butte Literacy Program, a community-based, non-profit organization that has provided free and confidential tutoring to adults in the Butte-Silver Bow community for over 30 years.

Since June 2018, the free one-on-one adult tutoring program has gone from servicing 8 students to 124, and from 5 to 14 tutors. Most are from the area, but some come from as far as Dillon.

“We’ve increased exponentially. I have no idea what started it. I had no idea what I was doing. This was all by the seat of my pants in terms of running it,” said Tenney Hammond, the program coordinator. “But it seems to have worked. So I'm scared to change for fear it'll screw it up.”

Each student’s reasoning is different and their ages range from 16 to 74. Typically, Hammond said, the program attracts students between the ages of 30 and 50.

But this year, the program’s age demographic has shifted, Hammond said.

“After COVID-19 hit, it seems like we’ve been getting more students between the 16 and 25 year-old range,” she said, adding 16 students have enrolled since April.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

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)