Whatcom Literacy Council
November 2010Vol 2, Issue 3
tutor and learner

WLC Tutor 

E-News

 A monthly publication of
Whatcom Literacy Council
 
November always reminds me to take notice of all the things I have to be thankful for in my life.  Sometimes I find it all too easy to overlook all the good in my life, and I will find myself focusing most of my attention on what is "wrong" instead of appreciating all that is right.  With that in mind, I would like to share a few things that I am especially thankful for here at Whatcom Literacy Council:
1.  Our brave and hardworking learners.  I'm inspired by the people who make time between work, family and other obligations to work on improving their literacy skills.
2. Our dedicated volunteer tutors.  Volunteering your time to help others reach their goals is a truly inspiring way to spend your time!
3. Our loyal and generous donors and community partners.  With their help we are able to continue to provide services for hundreds of adult learners each year.
4.  Our exceptional staff and board. I challenge you to find a more dedicated and talented staff than the folks who work here at WLC!  They are great at their jobs and they really believe in what we're doing.  The board is also full of talented and committed people who help this agency excel.

I'm filled with gratitude as I reflect on the list above.  Thank you all for sharing your time and talents with us!

All my best,
Rachel Myers
Executive Director



PS: I'm also very grateful for any excuse to eat pie!

In This Issue
Program Views
Learner Spotlight
Tutor Toolbox
Quick Links
Tutors - We Need Your Reports!
Just a reminder to all of you wonderful tutors that we need to receive a report from you each month to keep us up to date on how things are going with your learner.  Please take a few minutes to click here and send us a report on all of the good work you do!
 

Monthly Tutor Primers

Tell your friends, colleagues and neighbors!  Each month the Whatcom Literacy Council hosts a tutor information primer on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5pm at the Bellingham Public Library.
 
Holiday Closures in November
We will be closed on Thursday, November 11, in honor of Veteran's Day. Our office will also be closed on Thursday, November 25, and Friday, November 26, for the Thanksgiving holiday. 
Program Views by Gina Barrieau-Gonzales, Programs Manager

Gina 09

Has your English Language Learner requested assistance for citizenship studies? WLC does not currently offer classes. However, thanks to our generous partners at Goodwill, we now have an excellent online resource to share with interested tutors and learners.  Tutors, before you access the materials and get started on this exciting and tangible goal, please never directly advise your learners to get citizenship. The process is very complex, and often there can be extenuating circumstances that can potentially jeopardize a learner's residency status. Please consider these two steps before launching into citizenship studies.

 

 

Step One: To determine eligibility, encourage your learner to consult an immigration lawyer or go to the Northwest Immigration Rights Project website to obtain up-to-date information and speak with qualified lawyers who are best able to address any potential roadblocks and concerns. Go to http://www.nwirp.org

(NWIRP is a very busy, nonprofit agency that provides free services, so please be prepared to wait three months for a direct response.)

 

Step Two: Once a learner determines that he/she is ready to work toward attainment of   American citizenship, tutors can access the Goodwill website for step-by-step guidance and instruction. There is excellent information on what to expect during the interview process and current fees, as well as a comprehensive set of study materials. Go to http://uscitizenshiptest.weebly.com

The above website is current and was developed in accordance with the USCIS website, http://www.uscis.gov . There are other online sites. However, please be cautious, as many of those sites charge for outdated materials and advice.

 

If your learner is interested in classes, please contact Sara O'Connor, Program Specialist at the local Sunset branch of Goodwill, at sara.oconnor@seattlegoodwill.org.   Currently, there are only a few spots available for the January class!

 

Thank you, Goodwill and all agencies that generously share their materials!

Spotlight on Kate & Veerpal by Summer Ostlund, ELL Coordinator
 

Kate and Veerpal started meeting in August of 2009. They have been working for over a year to support Veerpal's work from her Whatcom Community College English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, as well as building general conversation and writing skills. They've used a wide range of materials, such as nursing books, word puzzles, recipes, songs, poems, stories and computers during their sessions. Veerpal recently met her goal of exiting ESL classes at Whatcom Community College. This means she was able to pass an exit exam that showed proficiency as an advanced student in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Congratulations to Kate and Veerpal! They both offered to write about their experiences. Enjoy!

            -Summer Ostlund, ELL Coordinator

 

kate_veerpal

Veerpal & Kate

 Veerpal's Story

I came from India. I came here in 1993. I didn't speak English at that time, and I had a hard time.  Going to work was hard, getting groceries, I never asked anything. I didn't know how to ask. I needed some favor, needed some help, I always quiet my mouth because I didn't know how to speak English, and how to ask people anything.

 

I want a tutor because I want to learn English, reading and writing. I want to learn English because I'm living here, and I have a problem every day because I'm going somewhere and I need to speak English. If my kid is sick and I visit the Doctor's office, I like to speak correct English, not broken. And my kids, they are now going to school. I want to meet the teacher. So I want to learn English and get better, and talk to each other.

 

I have learned how to use verbs, tenses, adjectives, and nouns. Before I have problems for speaking, I'm always shy. But I didn't speak English, but now I'm doing well. At work, everyone says, "Veerpal, now you're doing good."  My teacher, she is teaching is good.     

 

Kate's Story

I got involved with adult literacy because I was inspired by a story about the Literacy Council in the Herald. Since I love to read, I thought this was the spot for me. I quickly learned that I would not necessarily be teaching people to love John Updike, but that I would be helping them to learn skills that would change their lives in other ways.

 

I love working with Veerpal because she has so much motivation to learn English - she has learned so much in the year we have been working together. When we first began to work together she seemed somewhat shy, but I have learned that this was not her true personality. As she has become better at speaking, she has become much more open and talkative, asking so many good questions that I can't always answer right away! She also brings me Indian food, which is quite delicious.

 

The experience of working with a variety of different adults with different skill levels and backgrounds has been eye-opening for me. It is an experience that I really value and I look forward to seeing Veerpal flourish, and to working with other adults who want to learn, or improve, their English skills.


U.S. Bank Award Program honors Joyce Eschliman's service 

 
RM and JE
Joyce Eschliman, WLC Tutor

This past month, 138 volunteers across 28 states were recognized for providing exceptional community service as a part of the annual U.S. Bank Five Star Volunteer Award Program; Whatcom Literacy Council's own volunteer tutor, Joyce Eschliman, was one of those few to be recognized for her contribution.

           

Joyce has been a WLC volunteer for a little over a year. She started out by assisting in a small group class for adults with cognitive challenges or special needs.

           

"Joyce is very compassionate," WLC Adult Literacy Program Coordinator Jessica Hilburn said. "I remember when I interviewed her and she expressed interest in helping teach learners with special needs; she told me, she 'likes to root for the underdog.'"

                       

Now in its sixth year, the U.S. Bank Five Star Employee Award Program honors over 100 (of its 58,000+) employees who have been nominated for outstanding volunteerism at one of their local nonprofits.            

"Volunteers play a crucial role in the day-to-day operations of many nonprofit organizations that make a great impact in our local communities," U.S. Bancorp Foundation Director John Pacheco said. "At U.S. Bank, we are proud of our employees who give their personal time to serve a cause or organization that's important to them."

If you have any questions or need help, please contact us at 647-3264 or by email:
Summer Ostlund, ELL Program Coordinator -summer@whatcomliteracy.org
Jessica Hilburn, ALP Coordinator - Jessica@whatcomliteracy.org
Gina Barrieau-Gonzales, Programs Manager - gina@whatcomliteracy.org
Rachel Myers, Executive Director - rachel@whatcomliteracy.org

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