Literacy – Spanning the US :: Newport Beach CA :: Bridgeport NJ :: Philadelphia PA

Literacy: Spanning the US

@NMProLiteracy

Check out this story about Newport Mesa Proliteracy

Great NonProfits: 8.21.2019

Newport Mesa Proliteracy touches people's lives in the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa communities every day, offering adult literacy services and on-line GED tutoring. In the 15 years I have been involved as a volunteer with the program, I have seen our learners proud smiles as they reach personal milestones -- GED or higher degrees, new jobs, drivers' licenses, or earning US citizenship. My personal skills and appreciation of the diversity of our community have also grown with my involvement.  READ MORE >>

@Litsomerset

Two Local Non-profits Team Up To Change Lives Through Literacy

My Central NJ: 9.05.2019

What if you could make a real difference in your community by volunteering just one hour each week?  What if you could change a person's life for the better, just by having a weekly conversation with them?  Would you do it? In partnership with Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County (LVSC), Matheny employees are doing just that.

@MathenyMedical

Matheny, located in Peapack-Gladstone, is a medical and educational facility serving children and adults with complex medical conditions and developmental disabilities.  Bridgewater-based LVSC trains volunteers to provide literacy tutoring to adults who struggle to read, write, and communicate English.

Recently, five Matheny employees with busy work schedules carved out the time to complete LVSC’s 12-hour tutor training workshop.  As volunteers they have agreed to provide free literacy tutoring to a student or small group of students for one year. While many tutor-student pairs meet weekly in their local library, Matheny employees meet on the Peapack campus, focusing on workplace literacy skills.  READ MORE >>

New World 

Association

Bustleton Center Becomes City-designated Adult Education Campus

Northeast Times: 9.05.2019 by Jack Tomczuk

Tucked inside a Bustleton Avenue strip mall between a hookah bar and a European restaurant is an adult education hub that recently joined a city-wide network of agencies aiming to help immigrants and others find jobs and opportunities.

@PhilaLiteracy

New World Association, 9857 Bustleton Ave., in July became a MyPLACE campus through the Philadelphia Office of Adult Education.

Those looking for English as a second language, GED, citizenship or adult basic education classes can call the association and schedule an intake appointment. Then, they are assessed to determine what services they need, and NWA will offer classes or refer them to a different group in the MyPLACE network.

MyPLACE, which stands for Philadelphia Literacy and Adult Career Education, started in 2014, and about 4,500 people sign up for appointments each year, according to Catalina Gonzalez, adult education programs manager for the city’s Office of Workforce Development.

“It started as a network of agencies working together to provide opportunities for adult learners, 16 and over, that need to improve their reading, writing and math skills, English language skills, digital skills… and also basically improve their educational skills so they can obtain family-sustaining jobs,” Gonzalez explained.  READ MORE >>

Effects of Illiteracy on Business via Small Business Chronicle

Effects of Illiteracy on Business

Small Business Chronicle: 10.05.2019 by Gail Sessoms

In the United States, 14 percent of adults cannot read well enough to complete a job application, according to nonprofit organization ProLiteracy. The United States’ adult literacy ranking is fifth among the other industrialized nations. These figures translate to at least $225 billion lost annually in the United States because of unemployment, lack of workplace productivity and crime. Illiteracy affects families and communities and prevents people from reaching their full potential. Illiteracy also affects businesses in every area of operation, from staffing to profits.

Literacy

The National Center for Educational Statistics defines literacy as the ability to use printed information to function in society, increase knowledge and achieve goals. Functional illiteracy is the ability to read between the fourth- and sixth-grade levels. Other components of literacy are the ability to use technology, solve problems and do math. Based on 2003 assessments, nearly 22 percent of adults in the United States scored at the “below basic skills” level on the National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

Related Articles

1About Workplace Readiness Skills

2What Makes Workers Decline in Productivity?

3Grants for Workplace Development

4Economic Theory of Minimum Wage

READ MORE >>

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

NYSED/CUNY CareerKit Project :: CUNY

The NYSED/CUNY CareerKit Project

City University of New York CUNY

A Comprehensive Career Preparation Teaching Resource for HSE & ESL Learners Reflecting NYS Regional Labor Market Statistics

The NYSED/CUNY CareerKit project is a comprehensive career preparation resource for teachers and counselors in New York State. Its goal is to equip students with the skills necessary to make informed choices about their career paths. CareerKit activities are written at the HSE/Upper ESL level, with adaptations possible for Pre-HSE and intermediate ESL levels.  Each of the CareerKits addresses one of ten industry sectors and integrates reading, writing, research and math skills.  The sectors are:

Healthcare

Technology

Community & Social Services

Education & Childcare

Manufacturing

Hospitality, Recreation, & the Arts

Food Production

Retail

Construction

Transportation & Warehousing

There is also a foundational, multi-sector CareerKit, called Career Fundamentals, that introduces students to key questions related to career decision-making.

Each CareerKit activity fulfills a dual purpose – the acquisition of career information and the development of language, literacy and numeracy skills that support achievement on standardized tests.

Literacy – Spanning North America :: Flint MI :: Pittsburgh PA :: Jacksonville NC :: Terrace BC

Literacy: Spanning North America

Adults Who Can't Read Are Hiding In Plain Sight Around Mid-Michigan

ABC 12: 8.27.2019 by Matt Franklin

A silent crisis is affecting adults living in the Flint community right now who can't read.

They can't understand a bus schedule or comprehend information on a medicine bottle. One woman is working to improve adult literacy rates in the Flint community.

A year ago, something as simple as sounding out words would have been impossible for Phillip Lidell. However, at 53 years old, he's now just starting to get the hang of learning how to read and comprehend.

He said for most of his life, he would pretend he could read, only recognizing a few words, but things changed for father after enrolling in the New Beginnings Literacy Class at the COFY Center in Flint.  WATCH 04:26

@LiteracyPgh

New Art Project Launches On Port Authority Bus Lines

CBS Pittsburgh: 8.27.2019

A local artist has teamed up with Literacy Pittsburgh to create an art collaboration for several Port Authority bus lines.

Mary Tremonte and her partners at Literacy Pittsburgh celebrate the launch of a new art project called Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?.

The artwork includes colorful portraits of Literacy Pittsburgh students apart of the Office of Public Art’s Residencies with Immigrant and Refugee Communities. The two-year collaboration will be on display from now until October 30.  READ MORE >>

Onslow Literacy

Onslow Literacy Council Helping Adults Learn To Read

WITN: 8.29.2019

Reading is a skill that many people learn in grade school, but when it’s adults that need to learn how to read, they may not know where to turn for help. That’s where local literacy councils can step in to help, and tutors say it’s never too late to learn.

Some adults may never have been taught to read, or learning it as a second language and others may have faced an unexpected challenge that forced them to learn again.

Kiosha Cummings, a recent college graduate, grew up traveling the world as a military child. During a church trip to India she took before beginning grad school she suffered from a stroke.

Kiosha’s mother, Doretha Cummings says the stroke cause he to lose her ability to effectively communicate and read, “It was very scary. She couldn't really converse, or have a conversation. You know, just nod, or things like that, but it wasn't to a point where we could have a conversation. She was really starting at square one."

Jan Steimers is a tutor with Onslow County’s Literacy Council and took Kiosha on as a student after her stroke three years ago, “she came to me having this stroke that she had, a pretty serious stroke, and she didn't know any of the alphabet."

No matter the reason an adult is learning how to read, Steimers says it take guts for someone to take the initiative to learn, and that really where it all begins.  WATCH 03:16

Literacy Terrace 

Society

Murray George Led The Literacy Terrace Society, Helping Adults Read And Write

Terrace Standard: 8.31.2019 by Natalia Balcerzak

When working at the volunteer bureau in Smithers, Murray George noticed many people who came in often had trouble completing their forms. They would say they’ve forgotten their glasses or IDs, opting to take it home but never returned.

He quickly realized they were carefully covering up something they’ve been hiding their entires lives — they had trouble reading and writing.

“I was just kind of oblivious at first, some would take the form and have a variety of excuses,” says George. “It came as a real surprise to me that there are people out there that could not read and write.”

Later working with Literacy Smithers, he says he found out that 40 per cent of the province’s population was noted to have low literacy skills and began to see how common it was amongst adults, especially in the Northwest.

He eventually moved to Terrace where he took on the executive director role at the Literacy Terrace Society and oversaw approximately 25 volunteers that taught adults essential reading and writing skills.

Sitting down with the students, he heard their stories on how they were left behind at school and then struggled through life. For them, even going to the grocery store can be a hassle so they depend on images and others to carry out simple, daily tasks.

Some were looking for jobs, some learned English as a second language and others had reached elderly age only to discover how badly they wanted to read books aloud to their grandchildren or help them with their homework.

═════════►

But despite the high low literacy rate, the Literacy Terrace Society was forced to shut its doors this past March as the province continues to cut funding to literacy programs throughout B.C. This year, there was a 25 per cent reduction in the maximum allowable grant, which for the society meant a drop from $40,000 to $30,000 to run their volunteer-based program. READ MORE  >>

Canadian Library Month

#CanadianLibraryMonth

Canadian Literacy Month and the ‘Bookmobile’ tour

Global News: 10.03.2019

Jennifer Jones from the Toronto Public Library Foundations discusses the importance of libraries in honour Canadian Library Month.  WATCH 04:18

Annual Theme: A Visit Will Get You Thinking

All month long, libraries and library partners across Canada are raising awareness of the valuable role libraries play in Canadians’ lives.

More than just a place to find books, libraries promote cultural awareness, engage in the community, provide educational programs, support freedom of expression and so much more.

What is Health Literacy Month?

#HealthLiteracyMonth

What is Health Literacy Month?

Health Literacy Month

We are celebrating 20 years! Health Literacy Month is a time for organizations and individuals to promote the importance of understandable health information. This annual, worldwide, awareness-raising event has been going strong ever since Helen Osborne founded it in 1999.

Make Health Literacy Month stronger by submitting a "Health Literacy Hero". Together we are a stronger community as individuals, groups and team organizations worldwide.

Podcast with Helen Osborne

Since 1999, Helen Osborne has been moderating the health literacy podcast titled Health Literacy Out Loud. We celebrate 20 years of Health Literacy Month with a special podcast featuring Helen Osborne. Our moderator, Michael Villaire, MSLM, President and Chief Executive Officer, of the Institute for Healthcare Advancement will give us further insight into the contributions and vision Helen Osborne would like to share to our community of health literacy professionals.   Subscribe to Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast here!

Do you think you are a health literacy hero?

Do you know of a health literacy hero?

If you need to know more about being a health literacy hero, then click here.

Our Latest Health Literacy Heros

Organization Heros

Kansas City CARE Clinic

provides medical care to the uninsured and underinsured people of the Kansas City

Individual Heros

Matt Jacob

has developed valuable training modules to assist dental practitioners and advocates communicate more.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Health

Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults, US Dept of Health & Human Services

2019: Health Literacy in the 50 States, Health IQ (an Insurance Co.)

2018: How Health Literacy Got Started, Helen Osborne

2017: Hidden Cost of Healthcare System Complexity, Accenture

2015: Health Literacy & Patient Engagement, 12th Annual Report, US HHS Sep 2015

2011: Health Literacy Interventions Outcomes: Updated Systematic Rvw, AHRQ

2010: Health Literacy, NNLM

2010: Health Literacy: Accurate Accessible Actionable Health Info. for All, CDC

2009: Reaching America’s Health Potential Among Adults, RWJ Foundation

2009: Low Health Literacy, NAAL 2003

2004: Literacy and Health in America, ETS

Health Literacy Month :: Staying Healthy for Beginners :: Florida Literacy Coalition

Staying Healthy for Beginners

Florida Literacy Coalition

Staying Healthy is an award-winning curriculum that is used throughout the United States. It is written at a 4th-5th grade reading level and is suitable for low intermediate level ESOL learners and above. The newly-released Staying Healthy for Beginners is written at a lower reading level, making it more accessible to learners at the high beginning level.

Staying Healthy for Beginners

Student Resource Book

Ch. 1: Health Care

Ch. 2: Doctors

Ch. 3: Medicine

Ch. 4: Healthy Food

Ch. 5: Staying Healthy

Glossary

Teacher's Guide (A LINCS Publication)

Staying Healthy: An English Learners Guide to Health Care and Healthy Living

Student Resource Book

What is this book about?

Ch. 1: Health Care

Ch. 2: Your Doctor

Ch. 3: Medicines

Ch. 4: Nutrition

Ch. 5: Chronic Diseases

Ch. 6: Staying Healthy

Glossary and Index

Teacher's Guide

Staying Healthy Videos.

Coping with Stress

Student Resource Book

Teacher's Guide

Women's Health

Student Resource Book: Full Version

Student Resource Book: Part 1, Healthy at All Ages

Student Resource Book: Part 2, Stay Healthy, Stay Safe

Teacher's Guide

These resources were made possible through the support of the Florida Department of Education, Division of Career and Adult Education.

Staying Healthy for Beginners Teacher’s Guide made possible through the support of LINCS and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education.

Non-Literacy and Out-of-State Programs: 

The Staying Healthy curriculum is also available to schools and non-profit organizations for purchase.