Literacy – Spanning the US :: Orlando FL :: Minturn CO :: Huntington Beach CA

Literacy: Spanning the US

@ALL4Literacy

Adult Literacy League Is Struggling, And Needs Help To Stay Afloat | Commentary

Orlando Sentinel: 7.01.2019 by Gina Solomon

Brittani Bellamy of Orlando just wanted to be an “American girl” with a job and her own apartment.

Trouble was, she had little education, and her home schooling failed her. When she applied for jobs, she didn’t understand the words on the application. Despite being “nervous, afraid, embarrassed and shy,” Brittani, 24, went to the Adult Literacy League in 2013 for tutoring help. Today, Brittani is the American girl she had dreamed of becoming. She has a job, an apartment and a level of literacy she once could not have imagined.

The Adult Literacy League has served three Central Florida counties — Orange, Osceola and Seminole — for 51 years. But for the first time, grant funding has slowed, and other key funding sources are in a holding pattern. Several of the organization’s paid positions have had to be eliminated. In an effort to keep the lights on this summer, a GoFundMe campaign, “$60,000 in 60 days,” has launched. Here’s why the Adult Literacy League deserves some local love.

Created by a group of dedicated volunteers in 1968, the league has helped thousands of adults 18 and older increase their education enough to gain employment and economic self-sufficiency. Today, the organization serves 1,500 active adult students and 1,000 preschool-aged children and their families through one-on-one tutoring by 300 trained volunteers, 60 classes across three counties and the thriving Family Literacy Program.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Project

High Altitude Society: Literacy Luncheon Benefits The Literacy Project Nonprofit

Vail Daily: 7.02.2019

“Literacy, is the doorway to lifelong success,” said Literacy Project board member Melanie Dennis,

On June 27, the Literacy Project held its annual luncheon at the Four Seasons in Vail. Liv|Sotheby’s International Realty sponsored the event, which played host to Kirk Wallace Johnson, author of “The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century.”

The nonprofit promotes reading and English literacy. It believes that if every man, woman and child could read, write and comprehend, then the nation would be much closer to solving many of its social problems. The group has several programs, including adult literacy, study friends and math tutoring for middle schoolers, reading buddies and “raising a reader.”

Student Ira Solowitz had severe vision issues, which went uncorrected until he was 15. By then, he was desperately behind with reading and writing. He called Sloan Munter, director of education at the Literacy Project. She matched him up with tutor Tara Van Dernott.

“The smartest thing I did last year was to call Sloan,” Solowitz said. “I couldn’t read, write or spell, and Tara has helped so much.”  READ MORE >>

Literacy Volunteers 

HBPL

Literacy Spring Update

Literacy Volunteers-HBPL News: Spring 2019

Greetings dear reader!

It has been forever and a day since our last newsletter. If you've been staying in touch with us via social media, you'll know how busy we have been in the past few months.

On November 1, 2018 learners and tutors spoke on behalf of the literacy programs for our application for Community Development Block Grant Funds. One of our learners, Maribet, shares her speech in our newsletter. It is a wonderful reminder of why we are all committed to literacy and changing learner's lives.

"Welcome to our Oak View Branch Library. I hope you enjoy this wonderful day and continue to enjoy.  It's an honor to stand here in front of you and at the same time, a challenge for me to say these words in English. My name is Maribet. I am married and God blessed me with a son. He is seven years old and my son is the reason I decided to come to the library and learn English.

Why my son is the reason? I said to myself my son is growing up. He is going to speak English and I want to understand what he says. When my son started kindergarten, the homework they gave him should have been simple for an adult to be able to help him but I could not help him. Not because I didn't want to help him, but I didn't understand what he needed to do. And my son realized that I didn't know English. He asked me "Mami, why do you not understand English, didn't you go to school?"  READ MORE >>

Global Literacy Targets Already Off Track - Unesco via BBC News

High-level Political 

Forum (SDG 4)

Global Literacy Targets Already Off Track - Unesco

BBC News: 7.09.2019 by Sean Coughlan

Promises by world leaders to raise global education standards by 2030 are unlikely to be kept, warns the United Nations' education agency.

Unesco says on current trends, 30% of adults and 20% of young people will still be illiterate in poor countries.

There are 262 million young people without access to school, with the worst problems in sub-Saharan Africa.

The UN agency warns that the numbers missing out on education are unlikely to fall much in the next decade.

Education 2030

The report examines progress towards global targets, the "sustainable development goals", which in 2015 the international community committed to achieve by 2030.

Progress stalled

These included promises on education - but after four years, the projections from Unesco show, they are already off track and unlikely to be achieved without a significant change of direction.

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Lack of teachers

There are inequalities of access - such as barriers to girls and rural families getting an education.

But the biggest gap is related to poverty - with only 4% of youngsters in low-income families staying on to the end of secondary school.

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Damaged in war

Unesco also highlights the differences in outcomes between developing countries.

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Broken promises

This is the latest in a series of missed education targets after high-profile international pledges - despite education being seen as important for improving health and prosperity in poorer countries and preventing extremism.

Promises made in 1990 to ensure access to primary education were not achieved by the deadline of 2000.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Impacts Workforce Development via SBJLive

Literacy Impacts Workforce Development

SBJLive: 7.30.2019 by Mike Coonrod

In a tight employment market “I think the first thing is really being more open to hiring someone who struggles with literacy,” says Kristy Frans with the Council of Churches. “Just because they struggle with reading doesn’t mean they’re not going to be a great employee.” A 2016 Missouri Career Center Study showed about  27% of job applicants were reading below a sixth grade level.

Frans highlights programs to assist your current employees and future workforce with literacy. Ask the Experts is a monthly series in cooperation with Springfield Business Journal. This is sponsored content.

Video Transcription:

Today, we're talking about business and I really want to talk about how workforce development can be affected by literacy in our area and what are some of the things that you've seen.

Yes, so in 2016, there was a study done by the Missouri Career Center which showed that about 27% of those who came through there were reading below a sixth grade reading level.

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I think the first thing is really being more open to hiring someone who struggles with literacy because, just like you said, just because they struggle with reading doesn't mean they're not going to be a great employee. And I think, also, supporting programs that deal with literacy issues, there are adult literacy programs and there are also literacy programs that start with younger children and trying to prevent the issues in the future.  WATCH 02:10

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Workplace

2019: Global Skills Index, Coursera

2018: A Stronger Nation: Learning beyond high school builds American talent, Lumina

2017: UpSkilling Playbook for Employers, Aspen Institute

2015: Skills Gap Report, NAM-MI

2010: Literacy & The Entry-Level Workforce - The Role of Literacy and Policy in Labor Market Success, Employment Policies Institute

2008: Reach Higher America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce, NCAL

2007: America’s Perfect Storm, ETS

2007: Can California Import Enough College Grad's. Meet Workforce Needs?, PPIC

2007: Mounting Pressures: Workforce . . . Adult Ed, NCAL

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Salisbury NC :: Carbondale CO :: Redwood City CA :: Hastings NE

Literacy: Spanning the US

@RCLiteracy

Literacy Council Honors Myers, Doering, Top Tutors

Salisbury Post: 6.27.2019

During 2018, tutors at the Rowan County Literacy Council volunteered more than 4,000 hours helping fellow Rowan County residents improve their literacy skills. On June 12, RCLC volunteers were honored at a celebratory event at Pancho Villa’s Mexican Grill & Bar to recognize their many achievements.

Program Coordinator Laurel Harry and Executive Director KC Scott noted tutor milestones, shared special accomplishments, and gave out several special awards, including two Rookie of the Year awards, the Catherine Bernhardt Safrit Award for Extraordinary Volunteer Service, and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Each year, the Literacy Council recognizes one or more new tutors who have shown exemplary dedication and spirit. For 2018, tutors Rita Sims and Dan Durrett received the Rookie of the Year awards.

The Rowan County Literacy Council has been serving Rowan County since 1976 and is headquartered in the main branch of Rowan County Public Library at 201 W. Fisher St. RCLC is a United Way Agency whose student programs are free of charge to individuals in the community.  READ MORE >>

VOICES

Lifelong Learners Find Expression Through The Arts

Post Independent: 6.27.2019

Local nonprofits VOICES and Valley Settlement Project are teaming up for the second year, bringing art making to their Lifelong Learning students.

The Lifelong Learning Program offers free adult education in Spanish to over 100 students each year. Students learn English, Spanish literacy, math and computer skills. Through this partnership with VOICES, students discover ways to share their stories and express emotions using the creative arts, according to press release.

Angelica Breña, professor of literature from Mexico City, and Vanessa Porras, local printmaker and teaching artist, designed the workshop to explore the theme of identity and what it means to be bicultural. Breña and Porras, both of Mexican heritage, have experienced firsthand the complexity of being an immigrant.

This year, Expressive Arts Therapist Sheri Gaynor joins the teaching team and will offer tools for expressing emotions through visual journaling, experimenting with painting, drawing, collage and writing.  READ MORE >>

@RwcRead

Mom, Daughter Both 2019 Graduates Thanks To Redwood City Library Program

Climate: 6.28.2019

Emmanuella Garcia has supported her daughter through high school, ensuring she was on the right path to graduate. But she wanted to take her position as a role model to her children even further.

Lacking a high school diploma, Garcia enrolled into Career Online High School at the Redwood City Library. Now, she and her daughter can both call themselves 2019 graduates.

Garcia is one of three of the newest graduates of the program that offers adults the chance to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate online. The three graduates were honored at the Redwood City Council meeting on Monday.

Tuition for the Career Online High School (COHS) program, which normally costs over $1,000, are offered free to adult community members in the form of scholarships. The scholarships are funded by the California State Library and Redwood City Library Foundation, with the Foundation’s major funders being Cargill and Atkinson Foundation, according to Derek Wolfgram, Director of Redwood City Library.  WATCH

Hastings Literacy 

Program

20 Students Earn GEDs

Hastings Tribune: 6.30.2019 by Will Vraspir

School was never easy for Jacinto Jenkins, but the 57-year-old Hastings man proved age is just a number as he earned his General Education Development diploma this year.

Over the span of about 18 months, Jenkins went to classes and studied in his spare time to prepare for taking the four tests in language arts, math, social studies and science needed to earn a GED.

There were times he felt too old to be going back to school, but his fiancee Jeanette Stennis encouraged him to continue.

“She pushed me,” he said. “She told me ‘Age is just a number.’ ”

Along with Stennis, Jenkins said his faith and desire to change his life provided the motivation needed to keep working until completion.

“It took a lot of prayer and faith,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing when you can complete something like that.”

Jenkins was one of 20 students to earn a GED this year through the Hastings Literacy Program.  READ MORE >>

Teaching Strategies: Let Students Learn From Failure via Teach Hub

Teaching Strategies: Let Students Learn From Failure

Teach Hub: 7.31.2019 by Jacqui Murray

Too often, students -- and teachers -- believe learning comes from success, when in truth, it's as likely to be the product of failure. Knowing what doesn't work is a powerful weapon as we struggle to think critically about the myriad issues along our path to college and/or career. As teachers, it's important we reinforce the concept through our teaching strategies that learning has many faces.

Here are ten teaching strategies to teach through failure:

Use the Mulligan Rule

What's the Mulligan Rule? Any golfers? A mulligan in golf is a do-over. Blend that concept into your classroom. Common Core expects students to write-edit-resubmit. How often do you personally rewrite an e-mail before sending? Or revise instructions before sharing? Or have “buyer's remorse” after a purchase and wish you could go back and make a change? Make that part of every lesson. After submittal, give students a set amount of time to redo and resubmit their work. Some won't, but those who do will learn much more by the process.

Don't Define Success as Perfection

When you're discussing a project or a lesson, don't define it in terms of checkboxes or line items or 100 percent accuracy. Think about your favorite book. Is it the same as your best friend's? How about the vacation you're planning -- would your sister pick that dream location? Education is no different. Many celebrated “successful” people failed at school because they were unusual thinkers. Most famously: Bill Gates, who dropped out of college because he believed he could learn more from life than professors.

Let Students See You Fail

One reason lots of teachers keep the same lesson plans year-to-year is they are vetted. The teacher won't be surprised by a failure or a question they can't answer. Honestly, this is a big reason why many eschew technology: Too often, it fails at just that critical moment.  READ MORE >>

August Is for Advocacy :: Invite Elected Leaders Into Your Library via American Libraries

August Is for Advocacy

Summer is a critical time to invite elected leaders into your library

American Libraries: 7.24.2019 by Emily Wagner

Here’s the truth about the dog days of summer: August is prime time for advocacy. With members of Congress on recess, it is the perfect time to invite legislators to visit your library and let them see for themselves all the ways libraries bring value to their communities.

#ALAadvocacy

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Inviting your elected leaders—at the state, local, or national level—is not difficult. Here are a few steps to get started:

➧ Call your congressional member’s district office. Ask who handles meeting requests for their district and how they prefer to receive them.

➧ Write your request and tailor it to your elected leader, paying special attention to library services that intersect with their interests. For example, if your US representative is on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, invite them to visit programs that serve the needs of veterans in your community.

➧ If your member of Congress is not available, invite a staffer to visit your library. Often they will enjoy the tour so much they will want their boss to see it.

➧ Once the meeting is set up, put together supporting materials for the visit. The American Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office can coordinate with you to make sure you have the resources you need.

➧ When you conduct the tour, remember that your elected officials want to hear from you—your feedback is critical to their work. There is no need to feel intimidated.

➧ The visit is a wonderful photo opportunity for them. Be sure to ask ahead of time if they would like to take a picture or video inside the facility. Remember to ask permission to use images on your social media platforms (most officials will appreciate the visibility).

There are several steps you can take afterward that will multiply the impact of your decision maker’s visit, including:

➤ Follow up with the staffer to say thank you and ensure all their questions are answered.

➤ Promote your library’s value by highlighting the leader’s visit on social media.

➤ Write a letter to the editor expressing gratitude for the official’s visit and urging support for your library.

ALA is eager to learn about your congressional visits. Share your library tour using the hashtag #ALAadvocacy so that ALA can amplify your work and inspire others to host elected leaders.  READ MORE >>

RESOURCES

Advocacy 101 Video: Getting Your Library Story in your Local News

Using Social Media

Build Relationships with Elected Officials

Find Your Elected Official     

Become an Advocate  

Talking Points & Tools

Quotable Facts about America’s Libraries

Library Value Calculator

How valuable is your local library?

Use this handy Library Value Calculator, created by the Massachusetts Library Association.

2019 One-Pagers

One Pager: Libraries and Your Community

Leave-Behind: Federal Funding for Libraries

Talking Points: Federal Funding for Libraries

A Great Storytelling Tool for Students via Educatorstechnology

A Great Storytelling Tool for Students

Educatorstechnology: 7.30.2019

My Storybook is an excellent web tool students can use to create and share storybooks. It is a great way to engage students in a wide variety of literacy activities. They get to build their own stories from scratch using characters, images, different backgrounds, drawings, text and many more. And when their story is ready, they can share and publish it online for free or get a high quality printable version of it for $5.

Storybooks to Read

My Storybook can also be used by teachers to create storybooks for kids. The tool is very easy and simple to use and does not require any software download. The video shows you how to use My Storybook to design awesome books for children.

My Storybook allows students to engage in literacy in a creative and fun way and provides educators with the ability to tie multiple subjects together through the art of story telling.  READ MORE  >>