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Did you know...
| A mother's reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children's future academic success, outweighing other factors such as neighborhood and family income. (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2010)
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"Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential."
~ Kofi Annan
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Unused materials?
Tutors & students: We are running low on tutoring materials. If you currently possess any learning materials that you are not using, please return them to our office so that we may give those items to tutors in need of new materials. Thank you!
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Open Position at Literacy Action
Literacy Action of Central Arkansas has an open Program Coordinator position at the Little Rock Main Library office. Please e-mail Neil Jones at njones@literacylittlerock.or
g for more information or to submit a resume or cover letter.
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Welcome Tutors!
(Pictured in no particular order: Cynthia Barnes, Deborah Anderson, Gail Gerard, Joe Gerard, Meyshana Jones, Ted Callaway, Rebecca Glasgow, Eva McKinney, Tina Addison, Marylyn Parins, and Mary Mosley)
We are thrilled to welcome our newest class of Adult Basic Tutors. Tutors, we thank you in advance for your dedication to our community and your willingness to change people's lives...one word at a time!
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Who's Needed @ LACA?
Volunteers!
March 8, 2012
Shine A Light on Literacy. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! Call the office (501.372.7323) to find out how you can help us make Shine A Light a success.
We are looking for office volunteers, at the Little Rock Main Library, for shifts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9AM until 12PM. Contact Shelly Owens at sowens@literacylittlerock.org for information regarding volunteer opportunities. Tutors!
Literacy Action in Faulkner County is looking for tutors. If you would like to tutor students in the Conway area, please contact Kelly Bullington: (501)329.7323 or kbullington@literacylittlerock.org
Tutors are also needed in North Little Rock, Sherwood, and Jacksonville. We also have students who need a tutor at Dee Brown Library and McMath Library. Some students cannot come to the Little Rock Main Library due to the lack of reliable transportation. If you are able to tutor at one of these locations, please contact Shelly Owens at sowens@literacylittlerock.org.
Trainers!
If you are interested in helping with our tutor training workshops, contact Shelly Owens at sowens@literacylittlerock.org
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Literacy Action Newsletter
November's News
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There's Always News to Report
Greetings!
Just as news is constantly streaming into newsrooms across America, there seems to be an unending flow of news around the Literacy Action office. The truth is that when you get a mix of dedicated staff, students and tutors together who are passionate about adult literacy, good things happen. Happening now at Literacy Action... - Up and coming tutor training workshops scheduled in January and February
- New additions to the Literacy Action Team; Pratt Remmel and Meyshana Jones
- Student achievements that demonstrate the positive outcomes associated with new literacy skills; Name and Name
- Literacy Action Events; Tutor socials and the 4th Annual Shine a Light on Literacy
Almost every day I have the opportunity to share with someone for the first time the stark facts about adult illiteracy in our community. With over 30,000 adults in Central Arkansas who struggle every day with literacy, the problem can seem insurmountable. But here is the good part, I then get to tell them about how Literacy Action volunteers are making a life changing difference for individuals who are using their new literacy skills for the first time to do things like fill out an online job application, read a book a to a child or choose healthy foods based on information found on food packaging. The ability to read opens a whole world of possibilities! So, the next time someone asks, "So... heard any interesting news lately?" Give them some real news: Real stories, about real people and the way volunteers at Literacy Action are changing their lives. You have the power to be apart of the solution. Spread the word about the latest news at Literacy Action. Regards, Neil Jones Executive Director Literacy Action of Central Arkansas |
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New Faces to Literacy Action Meyshana JonesLiteracy Action in Conway is overjoyed that Meyshana Jones has joined the Literacy Action team as an AmeriCorps member. Jone  s is from Benton, AR and will graduate from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Language Pathology. In addition to her studies and work with Literacy Action, Meyshana is the proud mother of an eighteen month old daughter, Lailah. Meyshana's Thoughts..."I feel blessed to be apart of an organization that gives back in such a profound way. One of my favorite quotes is, "the beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." I am honored and looking forward to having the opportunity to enrich someone's life and give them skills that will not not only help them in the here and now, but will carry them on throughout life to accomplish anything they desire. Literacy is the window to life with no limits." Pratt RemmelPratt Remmel is a native of Little Rock, AR. He attended the  University of Virginia and graduated with a degree in English Literature. He is a longtime worker on environmental and peace issues. Pratt was also the founder and teacher at Dunbar Gardens and served on the board for 15 years. Pratt's Experience..."I have only been tutoring for a couple of weeks but it has already given me sweet rewards and a clear sense of doing something useful in our complex world. The students I tutor are between 38 and 53 years of age. Though they have not said it verbally, it is obvious that they have all suffered from feelings of inadequacy because they have never mastered basic reading skills. In my life, I have often been the recipient of kindness and patience from others when I have not known how to do something. Thus, I have learned the value of kindness and understanding when a human is challenged by a situation that is difficult for them. Recently, I tutored an older student who is enrolled in a local educational art program. He came to Literacy Action days before he was going to drop out of the program. He entered Literacy Action's doors acknowledging that he was unable to read and comprehend well enough to continue his education. Knowing the potential of this guy, I asked Shelly, Literacy Coordinator, if I could be able to tutor him. The student began to struggle early on in our tutoring session. He could not read the word "with." He and I tried a myriad of ways to help him learn the word, and he finally smiled when he realized that I was not passing judgment on him for not being able to say such a simple word. It was delightful to watch such a shy guy read, for him, a new word. Just think, "with," a plain preposition that most of us say and spell unconsciously, is a mastered term for a struggling adult reader."
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Jacob's Success
Student Jacob Chambers and his tutor, Bill Foster, celebrated Jason's successful completion of Challenger 8! Jacob came to Literacy Action approximately three years ago and began meeting with Bill to improve his reading ability. Jacob has made great strides and will be enrolling soon in the G.E.D. program at the Conway Adult Education Center.
Way to go, Jacob! We are excited about your accomplishments and wish you the best in using your new literacy skills in your future endeavors!
 (Pictured: Bill Foster with student, Jacob) |
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Upcoming Event(s) & Training(s)
Holiday Tutor Social and Potluck
Literacy Action will be hosting a Holiday Tutor Social. The event will take place on next Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 4PM until 7PM. You are welcome to bring your favorite holiday dish or treat, but it is not required to attend! We would love to have all of Literacy Actions' tutors, supporters, and friends in attendance to share stories and best practices.
ESL Training
Sign-up for the January Workshop!
The ESL Training Workshop scheduled for January 14, 2012 will prepare you to teach English to a non-native speaker. The workshop will include an orientation to Literacy Action's mission and the ways we are working to solve adult literacy problems in Central Arkansas. Training includes an orientation to working with adult literacy students, as well specific information on tutoring techniques for teaching English as a second language. We will also discuss lesson planning and documentation. Contact Shelly Owens, sowens@literacylittlerock.org, 501.372.7323 if would like more information. To register online, visit the Literacy Action web site @ literacylittlerock.org. Adult Basic Tutor Workshop The next Adult Basic Tutor Workshop is scheduled for February 4, 2012. The number of adults seeking help with literacy skills has continued to be strong. We have a waiting list, and we are receiving 2-3 new students each week. Tell a friend about tutoring opportunities with Literacy Action and the impact it has on the community. Contact Shelly Owens, sowens@literacylittlerock.org, 501.372.7323 if would like more information. To register online, visit the Literacy Action web site @ literacylittlerock.org.
Save the Date
The 4th Annual Shine a Light on Literacy will be held on March 8, 2012. Look forward to next month's newsletter for more details.
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Maria D. Gomez, a new U.S. Citizen
Congratulations to Maria D. Gomez for passing her citizenship test! Maria attends the ESL group classes at St. Theresa. Maria and her tutor, Virginia Roy, have been working on the citizenship material for several months and their hard work has paid off.
The tutors at St. Theresa are doing a marvelous job. Each tutor works with two or three students on a certain level of material, and the students move up to another tutor/level when they are ready. They have closed group settings, where students can only enter at the beginning of sessions, which allows the group to work to build relationships and literacy skills together. Their next session will be starting in January 2012.
Maria will continue to work on improving her English skills. We wish you all the best, Maria!
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Making a Difference in Conway
by Kelly Bullington, Program Coordinator in Faulkner County
Small steps create big results. Every accomplishment by our students means they are one step closer to achieving their goals. Two students in Conway took seemingly small steps that will lead to big results.
One female, age 60, registered to vote for the first time and is working with her tutor on understanding elections and candidates in preparation to vote for the very first time. Another student, age 45, applied for his first library card the week prior to Thanksgiving. The student's tutor assisted him in selecting books he could read to his grandchildren during the Thanksgiving holidays.
These stories are simple reminders that literacy makes a difference. To learn more about how you could help change lives through Literacy Action in Faulkner County, contact Kelly Bullington at kbullington@literacylittlerock.org.
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Literacy Action's Recruiting Display
(Pictured: Literacy Coordinator, Shelly Owens)
Literacy Action has a new recruiting display. It is ready to use for any sort of exhibit. The "to-go" kit consists of the tri-fold display, brochures, Literacy Action informational cards, and fact sheets. Call the office (501.372.7323) if you would like to use this exhibit at a community event.
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'Tis the Season of Giving...
Give the gift of literacy this holiday season. Gift cards are a great way to give a gift. This season you can give the gift of sponsoring a tutor, buying books, etc... Call the office(501.372.7323) to find out how you can purchase a gift card today! |
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