Literacy ▬ Spanning North America :: Glenwood Springs CO :: Jackson WY :: Fredericton NB

Literacy In The News :: Spanning North America

@LiteracyOut

AmeriCorps Volunteer Sticks Around To Spread Literacy
SoprisSun: 4.21.2021 by Will Grandbois

As part of an ongoing series of interviews with folks you might not have seen in the paper before, we caught up with Rachel Baiyor of Literacy Outreach

Q: Where did you grow up and what brought you out here?

A: I was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs. I came to Colorado to go to CSU in Fort Collins. My mom used to live in Denver, and we grew up camping and skiing and doing all that, but only to a Midwest extent, so I was really excited to explore something different. I started off studying biology but eventually left with an ecosystem sciences sustainability degree and a political science minor.

Q: How did that lead to literacy?

A: I started getting connected to some environmental nonprofits, and sort of doing volunteer work and interning. By the time I graduated, I just knew I wanted to go into the nonprofit sector. My boyfriend at the time was living in Edwards, so I moved to the mountains. Then I found the AmeriCorps VISTA position, and it seemed like a great fit.

Q: Tell us about that program.

A: I call it the domestic Peace Corps. They get a bunch of volunteers with an overall goal to alleviate poverty within that community. And so understanding that poverty is super complex and multifaceted, they’ve placed these support volunteers at a plethora of different organizations that are helping to reduce poverty from various angles.

Q: What does Literacy Outreach do?

A: Our mission has always been to teach essential literacy skills. We work with adult learners, and when we first started back in the ‘80s, our reach was really folks whose native language is English, but were failed by the public education system or have disabilities and never got those basic literacy skills. As the demographic of this valley has changed, it’s really expanded to include folks learning English as a second language. People don’t realize how pervasive an issue this is. If we could help all 36 million adults struggling with literacy, it would change everything for the whole community, and for generations to come.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

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)

 

Teton Literacy 
Center

Translator Works For Inclusivity During COVID
JH News & Guide: 4.21.2021 by Jennifer Dorsey

When it comes to communication, Lina Collado Garcia is all about inclusivity. In her writing, her photography, her work at the Teton Literacy Center and her volunteer translation efforts she wants no one to feel overlooked.

That mission took on a new urgency last spring and continued into this year. At a time when access to information could be a matter of life or death, Collado Garcia dove in to make sure Jackson Hole’s Spanish-speaking residents had the opportunity to read important COVID-19 news in their language.

With Teton County Library’s Pati Rocha she has been translating News&Guide health articles relating to the pandemic into Spanish for print in the Jackson Hole Daily and online in the News&Guide, informing Latino residents about mask wearing, social distancing, coronavirus variants, vaccines, case numbers and more.

🔽
For her efforts, Collado Garcia is the News&Guide’s Super Volunteer of the Year.  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)

 

@LiteracyNB

Celebrating New Brunswick’s 2020 Literacy Award Recipients On Literacy Day
GNB: 4.21.2021

The following statement was issued today by Premier Blaine Higgs in recognition of New Brunswick Literacy Day, Wednesday, April 21:

As we work toward our goals of creating a world-class education system and energizing the private sector, we recognize the importance of literacy.

The most recent international data on adult literacy has both concerning and encouraging news. The average literacy score for New Brunswick adults was about five points lower than the Canadian average (268 compared to 273); however, the statistics also indicate that, among people with a bachelor-level education, New Brunswickers scored above the national average in both literacy and numeracy. This suggests that, given the right tools, we are able to compete academically and in the world of work. It also reinforces the importance of promoting literacy initiatives to adults with lower levels of education, so they can improve their standing in the workforce and in life.

On New Brunswick Literacy Day, we take time to recognize and congratulate the 2020 Recipients of the Council of the Federation Literacy Award. The premiers and territorial leaders created the awards in 2004 to recognize the importance of literacy as an essential building block to a vibrant society and economy.

Élizabeth (Betty) Levasseur of Lac Baker has been involved in literacy for more than 30 years. She was instrumental in volunteering and raising funds for the Community Adult Learning Centre in Clair. She has also served as counsellor, vice-president and president of the Alpha la Vallée lnc. Regional Committee in Edmundston.

Peter Sawyer of Moncton has worked in adult literacy since the late 1970s. As chair of the Greater Moncton Literacy Council, he helped establish Laubach Literacy Canada.   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 the US :: Placentia CA :: Cheyenne WY :: San Benito Co CA

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@placentialib

Meet Our Learners and Tutors
Placentia Library Newsletter: Mar-Aug 2021

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 ➤➤

 

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)

 

Everyone Has 
a Story Project

Everyone Has A Story Project Talks With Wyoming News Now
Wyoming News Now TV: 3.05.2021 by Grace Foulk

Collaborative Connections, Inc, was recently awarded a 2021 State Literacy Award from the Library of Congress for their Everyone Has a Story Project. The program enables inmates at Wyoming correctional facilities to select books for their children and to record themselves reading the books, building family connections through the power of stories. The Everyone Has a Story Project was nominated for the award by the Wyoming State Library through its Wyoming Center for the Book program.

The Library of Congress State Literacy Awards Program, made possible through the generous support of David M. Rubenstein, recognizes organizations or programs that have made outstanding contributions to promoting literacy and/or reading in a state or local community.

Connection
Collaborative

Collaborative Connections was one of only seven organizations selected nationally. “I’m so pleased that this project was nominated and selected for the award,” said Mary Kay Huck, founder of the Everyone Has a Story Project. “The incarcerated, and especially their children left without a parent at home, are often neglected by those of us on the ‘outside.’ It’s our hope that the award will shed light on these families.”

WATCH 02:53

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

 

@SanBenitoFL

The incredible Rebecca Salinas
Benito Link: 3.08.2021 by Natalya Gallion

I met Rebecca Salinas seven years ago at San Benito County Free Library as an English Second Language student and I have loved her from our very first session! Rebecca’s great ability to make you feel comfortable, warm and cozy beside her is admirable. Moreover, Rebecca’s amazing talent to explain any material in an easy-to-understand way was outstanding. She helped me a lot with my English and I was happy even just to enjoy her company. Later I learned that she had four more students just like me.

🔽
Another community nonprofit Rebecca serves on is the Friends of the San Benito County Free Library Board as a president, vice president, secretary and now as a treasurer. Moreover, Rebecca tutors in an Adult Literacy Program, Summer Reading Program, art, Winter Program and others.  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)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Jackson Hole WY :: Pittsburgh PA :: Suffolk VA

Literacy: Spanning the US

Teton Literacy

Museum of Wildlife Art Goes Bilingual

Its efforts are part of a larger movement to merge Latino and arts communities.

JH News & Guide: 4.24.2019 by Billy Arnold

Just because a painting is hanging in a museum doesn’t mean you have to like it. You could love it, hate it or be put off. The painting’s main purpose is to evoke some kind of emotion.

That, at least, was what Lisa Simmons explained as she toured a group of students around the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s permanent collections. The students’ task was clear: identify a piece of art that inspired them, one that turned them off, and report back. There was, however, a catch.

They’d be asked to address the group in English.

The students were members of the Teton Literacy Center’s adult English as a Second Language class. They were there to improve their English.

For Rosa Elena Nava the class, which met monthly throughout the winter, was an opportunity to expand her English proficiency. That week the adult learners teased out the difference between a “picture” and a “painting,” among other fine linguistic points.

Afterward, Nava explained that her favorite part of class at the museum was learning English in a new context.  READ MORE >>

@LiteracyPgh

Carey Harris is Dedicated to Working on Behalf of the ‘Never-Give-Uppers’

Next Pittsburg: 4.24.2019 by Jennifer Baron

In November 2018, Carey Harris became CEO of Literacy Pittsburgh — the largest provider of adult basic education in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. She leads the nationally acclaimed organization in helping disadvantaged job seekers ready themselves for today’s workforce. Carey, who grew up in Crafton, lives in the South Side with her family.

What upcoming events are you excited to attend?

I’m looking forward to opening night of “We are Among Us” at City Theatre, which gives a window

What’s your big idea for Pittsburgh?

What if Pittsburgh’s next big bet was on young children and their families? What if we invested in making sure every family with young children had opportunities for parents to upskill so they could earn family-sustaining wages?

What if we also offered paid family leave and high-quality early care and education so that parents could take advantage of the opportunities offered by today’s strong economy? What if we built the blueprint for the rest of the nation? We have the talent and resources; do we have the collective will?  READ MORE >>

Suffolk Literacy

Donations to Help Literacy Tutors

Suffolk News Herald: 4.25.2019 by Jimmy LaRoue

The Suffolk Literacy Council will be able to update its tutor training program after receiving money and donations from several groups at the Workforce Development Center Monday.

The Ricks, Benn and Richards Foundation, along with local members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, donated more than $1,200, along with supplemental reading books, to SLC.

Dr. Victor Archie of Omega Psi Phi said he hopes this is just the beginning of a collaboration to fight illiteracy in Suffolk. He said all of the organizations were founded on education and lifting up the community, and they wanted to see if they could combine efforts to help with literacy efforts in the city.

“There are a lot of programs that target children, which is excellent,” Archie said. “But it is particularly a travesty … that you have a lot of adults that either cannot read or do not read at a sufficient level.”  READ MORE  >>

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Jacksonville NC :: Tuscaloosa AL :: Jackson Hole WY

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

Literacy Council Board Recognized For “Selfless Giving”

Onslow Literacy

Council

JD News: 12.05.2018 by Carolyn Alford

None of the Onslow Literacy Council board members want to be recognized for the volunteer work they do to provide free, confidential literacy training for adults in the county.

“That is exactly why they should be recognized, the selfless giving,” said president Nivedita Mittal, who nominated the board members as Lightkeepers through United Way’s Golden Rule awards and Lightkeepers program that “recognizes and celebrates unsung heroes of Onslow’s caring community.”

Board members Curtis Hildt, Donna Poulsen, Dennis Aschbrenner, Sally Goodman, Joan Pawloski, Bob Turlington, Howard Funk, Robert Roupe, Lisa Davis, Carolyn Alford, and Dandi Alexander have done much more than board member duties this year with a new director and now no director. They have kept the organization stable, filled in for everything, plugged all the holes, managed the office, updated the website and computerized records, conducted volunteer orientation, tutor training and some even tutor to keep the organization on mission, Mittal said. Board members have also gone above and beyond establishing governance, fundraising and finance committees and updating the bylaws. Board members have served on the committees with other community volunteers, sometimes more than one. They have partnered with other businesses and nonprofits to collect books for Onslow County schools after Hurricane Florence, organized fundraisers and the annual meeting, sold tickets and hams.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Council

of West Alabama

Service Group Turns Newsstands Into Libraries

Crimson White: 12.03.2018 by Desi Gillespie

On the rainy morning of Alabama’s SEC Championship game Saturday, Honors Action, a program within the UA Honors College, organized a service project behind Nott Hall. As part of the Honors College Assembly, the association is one of several groups that focuses on community service.

The Literacy Council of West Alabama partnered with the Honors College to paint old newsstands donated by The Tuscaloosa News. These new “take one, leave one” book stands became part of the effort to encourage reading from a young age.

“We originally did two [book stands] as a partnership with First Friends, and then the Literacy Council for West Alabama suddenly wanted two more, so we’re giving it a go,” said Ben Rogers, a junior majoring in chemistry and student director of civic engagement for the Honors College Assembly. “Any time that you can encourage children to read and to get into the great habit of reading, that’s a good effort.”

The Literacy Council of West Alabama estimates one in four Alabamians is functionally illiterate, which means they lack the basic skills for reading, writing and mathematics. The organization also cites the U.S. Department of Education in saying 60 percent of American children are reading below the level of proficiency.  READ MORE >>

Jackson Hole’s

Language Exchange

Speaking Their Language

Exchange offers English- and Spanish-speakers a chance to talk.

JH News & Guide: 12.05.2018 by Allie Gross

McKenzie McBride sets the timer and places her phone on the table: It’s time for 30 minutes of Spanish.

“What do you do for Christmas?” the California native asks her Mexican language partner, Neyvi Loaeza, in Spanish, sitting beside her in a library study room.

“Normally we get together with my family — my uncles and aunts, cousins, and make Mexican food,” Loaeza says in Spanish. “Sometimes tamales, sometimes pozole, something like that.”

McBride and Loaeza will chat casually like this until the timer dings to indicate it’s time to switch to 30 minutes of speaking in English.

It’s their third or fourth time meeting as part of Jackson Hole’s Language Exchange program, which pairs English- and Spanish-speaking partners for a chance to practice their non-native language.

“I think both of us are pretty shy, especially in the language that we’re learning,” said McBride, 24, who works at Teton Literacy Center. “So this is an opportunity where it’s a safe space that we can both practice and be comfortable.”

The program began in 2012 at Central Wyoming College, but Teton County Library and the Teton Literacy Center signed on in 2015.  READ MORE >>

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Solano Co CA :: Bradford-Wyoming Co WY :: Roanoke VA

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

Reading program helps students start a new chapter in their lives

Daily Republic: 3.04.2018 by Bill Hicks

Posters around most any library proclaim, “Reading is Fundamental.”

Usually these posters emphasize the “fun” in fundamental to encourage young readers. -But reading is indeed a fundamental skill and one many adults either lack or struggle with.

The Solano County Library Literacy Program celebrated the accomplishments of students transitioning through the adult literacy program Saturday at the Solano County Events Center.

Literacy program manager Cherelyn Hunt estimated as many as 60,000 adults in Solano County read at or below the fifth-grade level, with another 40,000 likely in need of strengthening their reading skills.

A small number of the program’s students are English-learners but the great majority are native English speakers who fell behind in their early years for various reasons and are taking steps now to get caught up.

Hunt explained improved reading skills can help greatly in general, but they can also help financially, with a recent study showing 100 hours of tutored lessons can lead to as much as $10,000 in annual income gains, she said.

The program is carried out largely through the work of volunteer tutors.

“We come to work every day and we’re so lucky because we have our volunteers and our students doing their work,” Hunt said. “We couldn’t do this without our volunteers.”  READ MORE >>

Bradford-Wyoming Co

Literacy Program

Volunteers needed to help provide lifetimes of literacy

Times Tribune: 3.06.2018 by C J Marshall

For Laurie Anson of Noxen, volunteering to help adults improve their reading just made sense.

In addition to a career helping people as a nurse, Anson also home-schooled her children. So when she heard about the need for volunteers at the Bradford-Wyoming County Literacy Program, she signed up.

“This seemed like a nice fit,” she said.

Anson has provided tutoring to three adult learners. The first, she said, is now attending community college, studying to become a welder.

“You get to know your students very well,” Anson said. “As a tutor, you work with them on a one-on-one basis. And that’s fantastic.”  READ MORE >>

@brliteracy

Local couple is brought together through love and literacy

WSLS: 3.06.2018 by Lezla Gooden

Imagine being an adult and not knowing how to read or write. This was the case just 10 years ago for Alvin Riley. The love of his life, Joyce, gave him a goal to reach before they said "I do."

“She told me I had to write her a love letter,” said Alvin Riley.

Alvin and Joyce agree that having Alvin learn to read and write brought them closer together and changed their relationship for the better.

“He now writes me a lot of cards and special little love notes,” said Joyce. "And I like that and I think that makes a marriage special and it has brought us closer.” 

Alvin was able to show his love through writing due to the help of the nonprofit organization Blue Ridge Literacy. The Rileys attribute Alvin's success to the patience and support from teachers like Stephanie Holladay.  WATCH VIDEO

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Lafayette Co MS :: Bradford-Wyoming Co WY :: Fulton MO :: Guilford Co NC

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

@LCLitCouncil

Lafayette County Literacy Council hosts Adult Education Ceremony

Oxford Eagle: 2.28.2018 by Anna Gibbs

The Lafayette County Literacy Council and Oxford First United Methodist Church hosted their fourth annual adult education ceremony last night, as part of the ABLE adult education program.

ABLE, which stands for Adult Basic Literacy Education, is a service that pairs “learners” with “coaches,” who provide everything the learner needs to pass their high school equivalency tests or simply improve their basic literacy skills. The program is open to any Lafayette County resident who is above the age of 18 and needs to obtain their GED, pass a workplace test or even a driver’s license test. There is a $15 registration fee, but all other services are free for the learner.

Barbara Wortham, Program Coordinator for ABLE, says the program aims to help more people in the community improve their quality of life through education.

═════════►

Approximately 4,300 people in Lafayette County do not have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. Sarah McLellan, director of the Lafayette County Literacy Council, says the goal of ABLE and other GED programs, like those at Northwest Mississippi Community College and WIN Job Center, is to put a dent in that number. What sets ABLE apart is the personalized non-classroom approach for each learner.  READ MORE >>

Bradford-Wyoming Co

Literacy Program

Teaching people to read

WC Examiner: 2.28.2018 by C J Marshall

For many people, the greatest gift they receive in their lifetime is the gift of literacy.

According to Aubrey Carrington, Program Coordinator for the Bradford-Wyoming County Literacy Program, more than 30 million adults nationwide cannot read or do math above the third grade level.

These people must rely on a support network to provide such basic functions as reading instructions, understanding street signs, and adding up a simple row of numbers.

Locally, the Literacy Program provides tutoring to adults in such situations to help them lead more productive lives. Volunteers are always needed to provide such tutoring, and the program will be offering training workshop at the Tunkhannock Public Library in March.  READ MORE >>

HiSET class takers reach for future

News Tribune: 2.28.2018 by Helen Wilbers

He spent six years in a classroom where he couldn't hear a single word.

That's how determined Tim Schultz is to complete the High School Equivalency Test (formerly GED).

"I've been working on it for a while now," Schultz said Tuesday through an American Sign Language interpreter.

Until five months ago, Schultz had no access to an interpreter, which made following classes difficult. With the help of an interpreter and the Adult Education and Literacy Program's classes at John C. Harris Community Center, he is making progress toward his goal of a better job.

"I would just like to go work at a hospital, and whatever they let the deaf do, I'll do," he said.

Schultz didn't earn a diploma because he spent his teenage years working for a higher cause.

"I'm a Jehovah's Witness," he explained. "I was spreading the word to other deaf (people)."

Now, he's among the 15 people enrolled in the evening HiSET class at the community center. On Tuesday, the students — who appear to range from teens to middle-aged — settled down with textbooks and worksheets while enticing smells wafted in from the soup kitchen next door.

Cliff Atterberry, the evening class's teacher, hustled around assuring that everyone had the right books.  READ MORE >>

@readingconnect

Reading Connections literacy agency in Guilford County seeks to teach people how to read

MyFox8: 3.02.2018 by Chad Tucker

Adriana Adams' father knew no English when he came to the United States as an immigrant from Cuba.

"He had to rely on the kindness of several teachers that he had," said Adams. "That took him along the journey from someone who knew no English to someone who was a pastor in this community for 30 years."

Today, Adams continues that kindness working with Reading Connections, an adult literacy agency in Guilford County.

"We meet people where they are on their literacy journey," she said. "We want to make sure they get a tailored education experience."

With volunteer tutors the agency helps around 1,000 people each year with reading, math and resumes.

"Whether they are an English language learner or someone who never learned to read in school or someone who is looking for a job, we want to meet them where they are," said Adams.

Currently more than 50 people are on a waiting list for help which is why the agency is searching for more volunteers.  WATCH VIDEO