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Did you know...
"When compared to other industrialized nations, the U.S. ranked 10th in literacy, behind Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Switzerland, Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Tonga, and Bosnia Herzegovina."
(ProLiteracy) |
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A Great Time in Conway
Tutoring Tales in Conway was a success with an intimate gathering of tutors at the Faulkner County Library. We had several prospective tutors to attend.
It was encouraging to learn about each other and to hear the various reasons why each person was involved in Literacy Action of Central Arkansas in Conway.
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Thank You For Reporting Your Tutoring Hours!
Please report your tutoring hours on the weekly tutor report. For your convenience, you can report your hours from a smart phone, (blackberry, iphone, android, etc...).
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Get Involved with Recruitment
Literacy Action has flyers available for volunteer literacy tutor recruitment and AmeriCorps volunteer recruitment.
If you would like fliers to post on a church or organization's bulletin, please contact Shana Beal at sbeal@literacylittlerock.org or call the office at (501)372.7323.
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Literacy Action Newsletter September 2012
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Greetings!
Listening to national convention speeches over the last two weeks, I am impressed by how literacy is woven into many of the issues we hear so much about. Improved literacy skills help adults find and retain employment and help in maintaining a healthy life style. Better literacy skills also allow parents to read to their children. New immigrants who learn English are able to become integrated into our community. It is no secret that teaching an adult to read or speak English has a profound and lasting impact on an adult's ability to successfully function in our society. It has been proven that raising literacy rates among adults contributes to strong and healthy communities. The question we should be asking, what could we do about the high adult illiteracy rates that are at the core of many of our social and economic problems? With over one in ten adults in Central Arkansas struggling with low literacy skills, where do we start?
Our literacy tutors have stepped up to the challenge. Over the last twelve months, Literacy Action tutors have given over 7,000 hours helping Central Arkansas adults to improve basic literacy skills. Their efforts are paying off. Every week we hear tutors tell success stories about students who have found new jobs or successfully passed their citizenship exam.
I invite all of our tutors and guest to join us in celebrating at our Annual Volunteer Tutor Appreciation event on September 26, 2012, 6:00PM - 8:00PM at Juanita's.
In this issue, read about:
- Volunteer Tutor Appreciation
- Services that are available
- Arnell
- Upcoming tutor training
Regards,
Neil Jones
Executive Director
Literacy Action of Central Arkansas
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BECAUSE OF YOU... LIVES ARE CHANGED!
We cordially invite our Literacy Action tutors to our Annual Volunteer Tutor Appreciation to be held on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 6 o'clock in the evening at Juanita's Cafe in downtown Little Rock.
Our special guest speaker is James L. "Skip" Rutherford, III, Dean of University of Arkansas-Little Rock Clinton School of Public Service.
Over the last year our volunteer tutors devoted over 7,000 hours to volunteer tutor time. Isn't that worth appreciating and celebrating?
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Available Services
Literacy Action was contacted by two organizations that wanted to provide assistance to our tutors and students, friends and family, and colleagues. 
Arkansas Department of Human Services - Division of Services for the Blind is a state agency that serves blind and severely visually impaired people in Arkansas. Their goal is to empower blind and visually impaired person to live independently at home, on the job and within the community.
Yellow Cab currently provides a special service to any individual that is in need of transportation to and from work or to any educational instution, setting, or training. Individuals are eligible to recieve 50% off of their taxi fare each they ride in a Yellow Cab under the JARC program. For more information about this service, please call (501)537.4951 or log on to www.littlerockyellowcab.com. For brochures, referral forms, pamphlets about the above services, please contact Literacy Action's Program Coordinator, Shana Beal at (501)372.7323 or e-mail sbeal@literacylittlerock.org. |
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Arnell
by Meyshana Jones-Lunon, AmeriCorps Member
 | | Meyshana Jones-Lunon |
A student that I have the pleasure of working with is Arnell. Arnell is a native of Louisiana, but he relocated to Arkansas after Hurricane Katrina. He brought along with him his wife and five children. Despite personal circumstances, he had a large amound of drive and determination. His goals main goal was to learn to read so that he could help his children with their homework. Other goals of Arnell were to find a job so that he could help his wife in supporting their family, obtain a driver's license, and study to take the CDL to become a licensed truck driver. I knew Arnell would be an amazing student and an amazing man to work with.
In our first few weeks of tutoring, he could have stayed in the office all day. He was so excited about the new concepts he was learning. I remember when I introduced him to contractions. He told me that he just did not realize two words could come together in that manner. He was excited to go home an show his older daughter a new concept that daddy had learned. With every new concept, he portrayed the same excitement. His drive was inspirational to me as well as my other students.
Around May, Arnell accomplished his first goal: he obtained employment. He came in to the Literacy Action office in Conway as a new man. He held his head higher. He walked with confidence.
At his new job, he worked the grave yard shift any any other extra hours that he could. It never failed that every Tuesday and Thursday he was in the Literacy Action on time and ready to learn. Some days he would come to the office straight from work. Within the several months we had been working together, he only missed one day of tutoring to take care of his sick daughter.
Arnell is a great example of how far hard work and dedication can take anyone. Just being around him is a source of encouragement.
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Looking Ahead with Literacy Action
Share/Save these dates
1st Annual Volunteer Tutor Appreciation
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
6:00PM - 8:00PM
Juanita's Cafe
614 President Clinton Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72201
Adult ESL Tutor Training - Little Rock
October 13, 2012
9:00AM - 3:30PM
Register For An Academic and Cultural Experience
National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week
September 10-16, 2012
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Welcome Tutors! 
We welcome our first fall Adult Basic Tutor class. These tutors are eager to join with Literacy Action and tackle the issue of low literacy in our community!
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