Literacy – Spanning the US :: Bremerton WA :: Glenn Co CA :: Franklin Co PA

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Glenn Literacy Projects

Literacy project works to help Glenn County residents

Chicoer: 8.22.2016 by Kyra Gottesman

The Glenn County Adult Literacy Project is increasing its efforts to reach area residents who may benefit from its services.

Operating under the auspices of the Glenn County Office of Education, the Literacy Project provides free tutoring to adults who want to improve their reading, writing, spelling or math skills.

“We work with English- and Spanish-speaking adults to improve their literacy rate so they may move forward with their computer skills, education, job training or earning their GED,” said Alaya Frey, interim coordinator.

The literacy program offers one-on-one tutoring in English and Spanish at the Willows Public and Orland Free libraries two hours a week. Those who are interested may drop in or make an appointment.  READ MORE @

Storytelling Festival promotes adult literacy

Public Opinion Online: 8.27.2016 by David Barr

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International Literacy Day :: 50th Anniversary :: Reading the Past Writing the Future

International Literacy Day

50^th Anniversary

Reading the Past Writing the Future

This year marks the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day and UNESCO is celebrating it under the banner “Reading the Past, Writing the Future”. International Literacy Day 2016 celebrates and honours the past five decades of national and international engagement, efforts and progress made to increase literacy rates around the world. It also addresses current challenges and looks to innovative solutions to further boost literacy in the future.

Fifty years ago, UNESCO officially proclaimed 8 September International Literacy Day to actively mobilize the international community and to promote literacy as an instrument to empower individuals, communities and societies.

Now International Literacy Day is celebrated worldwide, bringing together governments, multi- and bilateral organizations, NGOs, private sectors, communities, teachers, learners and experts in the field. On this day also International Literacy Prizes are awarded to people with outstanding solutions that can drive literacy towards achieving the 2030 Education Agenda. This year the focus is on innovation.

This is the first year of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development In this context the vision of literacy is aligned with lifelong learning opportunities with special focus on youth and adults. Literacy is a part of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The target is that by 2030 all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy (SDG Target 4.6).

2016 Laureates

The winners of UNESCO International Literacy Prizes were announced by the Director-General of UNESCO on 31 August 2016, following the recommendations of an international jury.

The King Sejong Literacy Prize was awarded to:

~ the Center for Knowledge Assistance and Community Development’s programme “Books for rural areas of Viet Nam’

~ the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia of the Mahidol University in Thailand for its programme ‘Patani Malay-Thai Bi/Multilingual Education Project.’

The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy was awarded to:

~ the South African Department of Basic Education’s ‘Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign’

~ the Jan Shikshan Sansthan organization in Kerala, India for its programme, Vocational and Skill Development for Sustainable Development

~ the Directorate of Literacy and National Languages in Senegal for its ‘National Education Programme for Illiterate Youth and Adults through ICTs

The awards will be presented by the Director-General in a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters on 8 September on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of International Literacy Day.

Interview with the five 2016 laureates

Literacy prize-winner starts library revolution in rural Viet Nam

An alternative to conflict in Thailand through bilingual literacy and education

Volunteers give a second chance to older literacy learners in South Africa

A literacy prize recognizing the needs of rural poor in India

Literacy prize recognizes hard won achievements of women in Senegal

Previous editions

2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007  - 2006

Literacy – Spanning the US :: San Angelo TX :: Solano County CA :: Dayton OH

Lee Middle School Students Help Raise Literacy Awareness

Concho Valley: 8.16.2016 by Daija Barrett

Emily Houston and Frankie Coleman are just 11 years-old, but the Lee Middle School students are on a mission to raise awareness about the number of people in the Concho Valley who don't know how to read or write.

"We learned lots of people cannot read," says Emily Houston.

The girls have teamed with the Adult Literacy Council of the Concho Valley to show council members what they're doing at Tuesday's meeting.

"They have been doing this for several months. I mean this is not a new thing," says the Executive Director of the Adult Literacy Council, Marilynn Golightly.

It was group project from the Carol Ann Bonds Symposium that led Emily and Frankie to research the declining literacy rate not only here -- but across the country. They discovered what they describe as shocking statistics on how many people in the United States and in their community who can't read or write.

"Some people just don't read because they don't like it, instead of just not knowing how to read, so that's part of the problem," says Frankie Coleman.

"It makes me kind of sad because I love to read and so they're missing out," says Houston.

According to the Literacy Council, 45% of the adult population, have limited reading and writing skills.  VIDEO

Solano Library’s Families For Literacy Program places books in the home

The Reporter: 8.20.2016 by Melissa Murphy

Learning to read and write in English just made sense to Veronica Lopez.

A native of El Salvador, Lopez was a young mother and only spoke Spanish, but she wanted more for her children and herself.

“My children are very important to me,” she said speaking in English with a thick, but clear accent, sitting in the Vacaville Public Library — Cultural Center. “I try to teach them different things. If I don’t speak or read English, how will I teach my children?”

Lopez took the initiative to make a change.

After her family moved to Vacaville, she first called the Vacaville Unified School District looking for adult English classes and they pointed her to the public library.

Lopez, then a mother of one, a daughter named Aimee Escobar, eagerly joined the Families For Literacy program offered through Solano County Library Literacy Services. The program is for reading/writing learners in the Adult Literacy Program who also have a child at home that is younger that 5 years old and not attending school. Each month the program provides a quality children’s book to the FFL tutors to use with the adult learners in their tutoring sessions. Afterwards, the learners get to keep the book and are encouraged to read the book to their child at home.

“It goes along with the philosophy that the parent is a child’s first teacher,” said Lorene Hamasaki, an assistant with the library’s Literacy Program. “What better time to reach the whole family than through the adult? ... The program is getting books into the home.”  READ MORE @

@PBsistersdayton

@BrunnerLiteracy

“The sisters of the Precious Blood have a large number in retirement,” said Celine O’Neill, current executive director of the Brunner Literacy Center. “They were looking for a way to make a contribution to their community and most being retired school teachers and administrators, it seemed a perfect fit.”  READ MORE @

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Delta Co MS :: St Clair Co MI :: Marble Falls TX

Volunteer group helps adults improve their reading skills

Daily Progress: 8.13.2016 by Bob Darden

For years, the Greenwood Mentoring Group has been focused on helping youngsters do better in school.

Now the volunteer group is raising its sights, partnering with Delta Council's Adult Literacy Program to give private, oneonone tutoring to those who want to improve their reading skills.

The program started earlier this month, and Delta Council is supplying the tutors.

"We're taking another step to uplift the community," said Bill Clay, the founder of the mentoring program.

The tutoring program features one hour-long session a week over 10 weeks.

Clay said he's grateful to former state Rep. Linda Whittington for making it all happen, saying she definitely "got the ball rolling."

Whittington introduced Clay to Chip Morgan, Delta Council's executive vice president? Frank Howell, the council's director of public affairs and communications? and Margaret Cotton, project coordinator for the council's Adult Literacy Program.

The Delta Council Adult Literacy Program, which serves 18 Delta and part Delta counties, was established in 2002.

"The program has been an amazing success. It's touched a lot of lives. It's nice that the Greenwood Mentoring Group is bringing it back to Greenwood," Howell said.  READ MORE @

GED prep center expands, seeks tutors

Times Herald: 8.15.2016 by Nicole Hayden

Two local nonprofits are teaming up to expand adult education services in St. Clair County.

Working together, Literacy and Beyond and Blue Water Center for Independent Living expect to help six times as many GED prep students.

“The collaboration is key,” said Mike Hinkley, Literacy and Beyond director. “(BWCIL) is just like us, they just want to make a difference and now we are able to provide things to students that we wouldn’t have been able to.”

With all 70 student spots filled for the GED program, Literacy and Beyond is looking for volunteer GED tutors to commit a few hours each week to answer student questions and teach math and English concepts.

Jessie Wiegand, Literacy and Beyond program manager, said she hopes to find 12 to 16 tutors.

“Our tutors are like coaches,” Wiegand said. “It’s not just an academic piece, but sometimes it’s listening to what is going on in a student’s life and how their day is.”  READ MORE @

Literacy Highland Lakes seeking volunteers . . .

101Highland Lakes: 8.16.2016 by Daniel Clifton

Reading remains one of the most beneficial skills a person can acquire to advance in education, careers and just in life. Yet many Highland Lakes adults struggle with reading and comprehension, especially those who settled in the area from other countries.

Fortunately, Literacy Highland Lakes offers free tutoring and classes for adults looking to become better readers, learn English, prepare for the General Educational Development test or work toward becoming a U.S. citizen.

“There’s definitely a growing demand,” said Shirley Brewer, a Literacy Highland Lakes board member and the volunteer coordinator.

One of the biggest needs is for English as a Second Language tutors in the Bertram area.  READ MORE @

National Literacy & Library Events :: September 2016

National Literacy & Library Events

September 2016

SCLLN

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences

- Local, California and National -

visit

the Southern California Library Literacy Network

for more information

Library Card Sign-Up Month

Sep. 06    #ReadABookDay

Sep. 08    International Literacy Day

Sep. 09+ World Congress on Learning Disabilities, London UK

Sep. 10    Autism Sensory Friendly Films KUBO 10a

Sep. 11+ Get Outside the Lines, Libraries Reintroduced  #GetOTL

Sep. 13   Roald Dahl Day

Sep. 13   Autism Sensory Friendly Films SULLY 7p

Sep. 15   International Dot Day

Sep. 15+ ALSC National Institute, Charlotte NC

Sep. 16+ Black Writers And Book Clubs Literacy Festival, Memphis TN

Sep. 17   Curiosity Day with Curious George

Sep. 18   Read an eBook Day

Sep. 21   School Backpack Awareness Day

Sep. 24   National Punctuation Day

Sep. 24   National Book Festival, Wash DC

Sep. 24  Autism Sensory Friendly Films STORKS 10a

Sep. 25  Banned Book Week

Sep. 26  Adult Education & Family Literacy Week

Sep. 27  National Voter Registration Day

Sep. 28  Banned Websites Awareness Day

Sep. 28  National Coalition for Literacy Leadership Awards, Wash DC

State Library Associations :: Conferences

African American Book Events

Book Fairs by State Library of Congress

Children’s Book Council Kid Lit Events

College Children’s & Young Adult Literature Conferences Festivals

Everfest Book Festival Calendar 2016-2017

ILA :: Literacy Calendar Worldwide

Storytelling Events

US Book Festivals

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Columbia SC :: Lee Co IL :: San Bernardino Co CA ::Franklin Co PA :: Madison WI

Reading program keeps incarcerated mothers involved in their children's lives

Live5 News: 8.01.2016 by Michal Higdon

A program in the Midlands is helping incarcerated mothers in prison stay connected with their children. According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections there are about 1,400 women incarcerated in the state and about 80 percent of them have children.

So the initiative called a Mother's Voice, was started in the state.

This initiative provides incarcerated mothers with recordable books suitable for toddlers and young children. Mothers record their own voice as they read the book, then give the book to their child or children to keep and listen to over and over again.

The overall mission of A Mother’s Voice is to connect children with their incarcerated moms through reading with the objective to reinforce bonds between mother and child, increase mother and child communication through reading, and improve literacy skills of both the mother and the child.

"It's so meaningful. It's that thing that hasn't happened and we want to make sure that the mothers and the children stay in touch no matter where they are,” says Camden Councilwoman Laurie Parks.  VIDEO

Tutors VITAL to Sauk program's success

As GED, ELS classes ramp up, help sought in Twin Cities

SaukValley: 8.03.2016 by Christopher Heimerman

As a bilingual administrative assistant with Lee County Health Department, Laura Moreno knows many folks who could use a free English as a Second Language course. She also knows that, regardless of heritage, a lot of folks could use some help getting their GED.

And she knows just how good it feels to help folks better themselves.

She knows all these things because she’s been there, done that.

Two pivotal programs at Sauk Valley Community College, Project VITAL (Volunteers in Teaching Adult Literacy) and Adult Education, helped Moreno, 25, learn English when she emigrated from Mexico in October 2010, then get her GED and help others follow suit.

When Moreno’s sister, Mirna Cabrera, persuaded her to move to Sterling, she knew little to no English. She’d left Universidad Autonama De Chihuauha in Mexico during her third semester of studying international relations, only to start over, more or less, at Sauk.

“It was exciting, because I knew I’d learn a new language,” she said. “But it was hard and scary. I knew I was going to be behind. I knew I was going to have to start over.”

Moreno’s not the only on who’s felt that way.

Emily Kruger, Sauk’s adult literacy outreach coordinator since January 2015, said she’s been approached this summer by numerous students looking for tutoring, many of them fluent only in Spanish. She’s got a decent stable of tutors in Dixon, but needs help in Sterling and Rock Falls.

“Tutors are the backbone of our entire program,” Kruger said. “If we don’t have our volunteer tutors, we don’t have a program.”  READ MORE @

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@FCLCPA

Group aims to promote literacy in community

Public Opinion: 8.10.2016 by Vicky Taylor

The Franklin County Literacy Council is urging area residents to follow the path to literacy and to help others do the same.

═════════►‎

Thomas said nearly one in five Franklin County residents needs help in basic reading, math and computer skills, putting the region at greater risk for poverty, domestic abuse and poor health.

Improving literacy helps the economy, lowers health care costs and reduces crime, he said.

That involves more than just teaching people to read, he said.

The Literacy Council does its part by offering tutoring classes for adult students enrolled in adult basic education classes who need basic literacy skills, and classes for English as a Second Language (ESL) students, as well as offering employability training.

The employability training program is designed to help with math, basic computer skills and reading and writing in the workplace.

To make it run, Thomas said the council needs the help of a large number of volunteers passionate about helping others who can give between three and five hours a week of their time to the cause of literacy.  READ MORE @

@LitNet

Madison woman uses Literacy Network services, becomes MPD officer

NBC15 WMTV: 8.10.2016 by Meredith Barack

As a child, everyone dreams about what they want to be when they grow up, and for one Madison woman, her dream job was finally in reach.

But it would take the help of a local non-profit to make it a reality.

"Since the age of 8, I've always wanted to be a police officer. But not just a police officer, I wanted to be an officer with the Madison Police Department."

Growing up on the east side, Lyjya Miles said it was the positive impact from the officers in her neighborhood that inspired her dream.

"It was the things that the Madison Police Department did for me that I don't think the officers realized they did that affected my life and helped me become who I am today."

But finally becoming an officer didn't come easy. Initially, Miles didn't pass a test given to MPD applicants.

"When it comes to things like reading, speed reading, that's kind of where I struggled a little bit, but that's definitely where the Literacy Network came out and helped me."

Like the new Literacy Network building, at the corner of S. Park St. and Dane St., many of the people who seek out their services are a work in progress.

"There's 55,000 people here in Dane County who could use our services. Right now, we're serving about 1,000 students each year, and really it's not enough," said Jen Davie, Literacy Network's development director, "we've got to be able to serve more. We have to be ready for them, which is where this building kind of came into play."  VIDEO