Events Update
Apr 20 -- LACA hosts
Hospitality Room
for Literacy
Festival Clinic
May 2 -- Presentation by
students from the
Clinton School of
Public Service
May 5 -- Tour de Toad,
an official event
of Toad Suck
Daze festival
May 11 -- Joint ABL/ESL
Tutor Training
Workshop
May 28 -- First Class, TAFF Program
Sep 26 -- 5th Annual
Shine a Light
on Literacy
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Vote for Literacy Action!
Constant Contact, our email and social media marketing service provider, has chosen us to compete for a $10,000 grand prize donation!
All you have to do is click the image above, like the page, and then VOTE for Literacy Action.
Helping donate $10,000 has never been easier! |
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Volunteer Milestones!
We would like to take the time to specially thank certain volunteer tutors who have given the most to our organization.
Katie Keen, an Ameri-Corps member, has been with Literacy Action for THREE years. Since the fiscal year began on July 1, Katie has volunteered over 200 hours of instruction.
Meyshana Jones, also an AmeriCorps member, works in our Conway office and has dedicated over 300 hours of instruction this fiscal year.
Pratt Remmel, who has been with Literacy Action for a year and a half, has given over 350 hours of instruction to our organiza-tion this fiscal year.
We are humbled by the service of these individuals --and all of our volunteer tutors--and are reminded daily that adult literacy is not only important to us, but to the entire com-munity. Thank you!
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Congrats, Virginia Roy!
Virginia Roy, who has been with our organization for over three years, was recently acknowledged as the Volunteer of the Week by the United Way Volun-teer Center.
 | | Virginia Roy |
Virginia Roy and her fellow parishioners saw a need for ESL services in Southwest Little Rock and decided to act.
She organized a group of fellow tutors to meet at St. Theresa's two times a week. Her leadership is an inspiration to us, and her volunteerism has helped many adults in the community find jobs, become citizens, and vote.
Thank you!
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Tour de Toad!
Tour de Toad is quickly approaching! Now that we have our two route maps (see the main body of the newsletter), you will know exactly where we are headed!
As a quick reminder, Tour de Toad will begin on Sunday, May 5, at 8:00am at the Conway High School Field House.
Registration is only $40, and all proceeds go to Literacy Action of Central Arkansas, to help increase adult literacy in Central Arkansas. There will be a free lunch, music, and SAG support, as well!
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Did You Know?
Of adults in the lowest literacy levels, fifty percent live in poverty.
A majority of those in the lowest literacy levels "described themselves as being able to read or write English well or very well."
This means that the ones who need our help most may not even realize it. By being involved with Literacy Action of Central Arkansas, you are taking important steps towards increasing adult literacy levels across the entire community.
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Literacy Action Newsletter
April 2013
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Greetings!
 | | Neil Jones |
Help Literacy Action Win $10,000 and So Much More
by: Neil Jones
Wow! Where do I start? There is so much to talk about this month! Here are just two events that everyone can support.
1) Help Literacy Action win $10,000.
Last week we were informed that Literacy Action is one of Constant Contact's top three finalists in a competition to win $10,000. This grand prize donation would help us with our mission in Central Arkansas to help adults learn to read. We have already qualified for a $3,000 prize--but now it is up to you to win us the top prize. Everyone can help by following this link and voting for Literacy Action. Voting ends tomorrow, Friday 12.
2) Learn about the attitudes of members of our community on adult literacy.
The Clinton School Practicum Team has worked over the last year interviewing civic and business leaders in our community about their attitudes towards adult literacy issues and the pathways for community engagement. The students will be presenting their findings and recommen-dations on Tuesday, May 2. Find out more information and register now by clicking here. Come out and support our students and learn about how we can get others in our community to become engaged in adult literacy.
Check out this video below to learn more about the Clinton School Practicum Team's project and the impact of community engagement in the lives of adult learners:
Also, remember these upcoming events:
- Taking Action for the Future Program. We are starting our first literacy class at Pulaski Tech on May 28th and need five additional volunteers for this exciting program. Contact Kathy Griffin
- Saturday, May 11, is our next tutor training work-shop. From 9:00am-1:00pm, potential tutors can get trained in both ABL and ESL tutoring. This will be our last training program before the busy summer months. Seats fill up fast, so register now!
- Tour de Toad is on May 5th. We now have the route maps available which can be viewed here (25mi) and here (46mi). To register, simply follow this link.
So here is a challenge: pick just one thing to do this next month to support adult literacy in our community. Vote to help us win $10,000, attend an event, join a bike ride, or just tell your neighbor about the magnitude of adult literacy issues and talk about how we can all pitch in to help. By working together, we can change lives, one word at a time
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Post-Testing Is Important!
by: Kathy Griffin
 | | Kathy Griffin |
Getting a new adult learner is exciting. All of a sudden, you are meeting with someone with whom you've agreed to share the gift of literacy. As the relationship between you and your student grows, it's important to remember to have your students post-tested to document their progress.
Your students can be post-tested after:
- 50 hours of instruction for ABL students
- 60 hours of instruction for ESL students
- 6 months of instruction for all students
Post-testing allows us to track when your students make progress towards their goal of reading and speaking better. So, don't forget to schedule appointments with your students to come in for post-testing!
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The Sound of Success!
 | | David Lee (left) and his tutor Katie Keen (right) |
by Katie Keen
I have been tutoring a young
man from Korea named David Lee for about 7 months now. When we started, David was quiet and not very confident in his English speaking abilities. Although he spoke quite well, he often shied away from opportunities to speak with others and would not express his thoughts in English. We would meet at the UALR library every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to practice his grammar and conversation. After a while, I could see that he was beginning to come out of his shell.
He finally began talking! He was actively participating in conversations with others, asking questions, and eloquently articulating his thoughts--all in English! I could see his confidence was growing each time he spoke. This was never as apparent as when he participated in a game show--on the radio!
One day at the UALR library a woman from KUAR-FM asked us to participate in "That! Medical Quiz Show" to be aired live for all of Little Rock to hear.
The game show consisted of 20 or so pretty difficult medical questions that most native English speakers would have difficulty with, but David really held his own. He was able to understand the game show host and kept cool under the pressure to perform. Although he finished last, he still did an excellent job. When we finally got out of the recording studio we jump up and down with joy at just having been on a radio show. I told him I was sorry he didn't win, and he said, "I don't care about winning the show. I really won because I was able to do it!" To see him succeed not only in his English, but also in his confidence, made me grateful to work with Literacy Action. Where else would I get to work with such awesome people?
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by: Seth Allen
On Saturday, March 23, we held a joint ABL/ESL Tutor Training Workshop here in the main library.
Nine prospective tutors came and dedicated their Saturday morning to learning how to teach an adult the basic literacy skills they need. Pictured here are the nine prospective tutors:
 | | Pictured, left to right: Dr. Mary Mosley, Alice Kunce, Gabriella Corriere, Cindy McAfee, Reid Miller, Chloe Deaton, Mark Moore, Eureka Ice, Monica Carmichael, Renee Smith, Molly Reich, and Katie Keen |
We are very thankful for these individuals who are willing to volunteer their time to help increase adult literacy in Central Arkansas. We are always pleased to find people who are as dedicated to the cause of adult literacy as we are.
If you are interested in tutoring with us, or volunteering in any way, just give us a call at 501-372-7323. We look forward to hearing from you!
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