Events Update
More info below in this newsletter!
May 11-- Joint ABL/ESL
Tutor Training
Workshop May 15 --Writer's Note-
book Tutor
Luncheon
May 28-- First class, TAFF
Program Sep 26 -- 5th Annual Shine a Light on Literacy
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AmeriCorps Sign-Up!
We are accepting applica- tions for three part-time (18-20hrs per week) service positions with Literacy Action through the AmeriCorps program. Two positions are open in the Little Rock office, and one position is open in the Conway office.
AmeriCorps workers will serve as adult literacy and/or ESL tutors. There will be a living allowance of $6,254 (to be paid bi-monthly), as well as $2,775 educational award upon successful completion of 900hrs of service.
Persons 55 and older can pass on their education award--which can be used to pay for college and books, to pay back student loans, and for qualified continuing education--to their child or grandchild.
Up to four AmeriCorps terms/years, and monetary awards, are available. You can email Literacy Action, or call 501-372-7323 for more information. |
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Save the Date!
Many have been wondering about this year's Shine a Light on Literacy. Have no fear! We are on course to make this year's Shine a Light on Literacy the best one yet!
Literacy Action's annual gala will take place this fall, on Thursday, September 26, from 6:00pm-8:00pm.
Join us and the Honorary Chair, First Lady Ginger Beebe, for hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer, and a silent auction featuring works from local artists.
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Literacy Equals
At Literacy Action, we strive to present information in new and exciting ways. With that in mind, we have kicked off our new knowledge and funding campaign, Literacy Equals.
Click on the photo above to watch a video summarizing the main points of the campaign, and click here to read about how the issue of adult literacy affects you and your life on a daily basis. |
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Recycle Your Books!
We all know that going green can in turn save some green! Please be sure to return any books that you have borrowed from Literacy Action once you are no longer using them.
Having a working know- ledge of the instructional materials that we have on hand will help us cut costs by preventing unnecessary purchases in the future.
Keep up the great work!
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TAFF Update
Many thanks go out to everyone who has volunteered to support our upcoming TAFF program! We would not be able to pull off this amazing pilot program without you.
At present, we have a sufficient number of tutors to meet the needs of our TAFF students. However, we already have a Fall session planned for our TAFF program. If you would like to participate in this Fall session, or would simply like more informa- tion, contact Kathy Griffin at 501-372-7323.
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Did You Know?
Of adults in the lowest literacy level:
-- One third were age 65
or older.
-- Over 25% were born in
another country
-- About 25% had mental,
physical, or health
conditions that limited
their ability to read.
-- Two thirds terminated
their education before
completing high school.
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Greetings!
 | | Neil Jones |
What a Week! Our Community Shows Support for Literacy
by: Neil Jones
Have you ever had a crazy week when everything seems to happen all at once? When things are moving so quickly that you wish there were a slow-motion button, just so you can take everything in? This was my experience last week at Literacy Action. I hope this is a preview of the future! Seeing so many different groups in our community become engaged in improving adult literacy is truly exciting.
Among the things that happened last week:
- "Improving Community Engagement." Four students from the Clinton School of Public Service presented the findings of their study on how we can improve community engagement in adult literacy issues. This was no weekend assignment. The students worked for over five months, interviewing 60+ civic and business leaders in their research. Many of the participants in the project had little knowledge about the magnitude of the adult literacy problem in Central Arkansas. About 50 people attended the presentation and engaged in a thought- ful dialogue on the challenge of improving adult literacy.
- Kappa Kappa Gamma Donation. The Central Arkansas branch of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association presented Literacy Action with a check for $7,500. The donation comes from the proceeds of the "Opening Doors for Literacy" luncheon held earlier this year. This project started over a year ago with just one phone call from Betty Bloore, asking how their organization could help improve adult literacy in our community.
 | | Neil Jones with members of the KKGAA |
Through their efforts, several hundred people heard first-hand about how non-reading adults struggle every day do the simple task most of us take for granted. Now, their donation will be used to further our services in the Central Arkansas community.
- Tour de Toad. In Conway, nearly 200 cyclists turned out to ride for adult literacy in our annual Tour de Toad. Kelly Bullington, the program coordinator in Conway, was able tell our story on morning radio shows on K107.1, and Melody Sugg and Allison Stephens appeared on FOX16. See the video below for some of the riders' comments!
While all of this was going on, other groups were hard at work. Alice Kunce led a Tutor Luncheon (more information below!) for nine tutors on how to incorporate technology into adult literacy instruction. And, how could we forget the 90 tutors teaching basic literacy and English skills--wow! What a week!
Please take a few minutes to catch up on the Literacy Action news and share this newsletter with a friend.
-- Neil
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Tour de Toad Rocked!
by: Melody Sugg
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Melody Sugg
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We enjoyed what proved to be a toad-ally successful Tour de Toad! On May 5th, nearly 200 cyclists gathered at Conway's high school to ride for literacy. Cyclists picked from a 25 or 46 mile route, both fully supported with rest stops and mechanical support. It was a bit chilly during the 7 a.m. registration, but luckily the weather warmed up a bit through the morning and the sun shone on our cyclists.
The Toad Suck Daze Toadmaster welcomed our cyclists, and Neil Jones, Executive Director of Literacy Action, spoke about the mission and importance of the ride. Erik Leamon of The Ride Bike Shop explained the rules of the road and sent the cyclists on their way.
"Tour de Toad was a great opportunity to support a growing cycling event. The route was challenging, the scenery was beautiful, and it was fun to be a part of Toad Suck Daze and Literacy Action of Central Arkansas," shared Melissa Hendricks, cyclist.
With the help of our sponsors and cyclists, Tour de Toad raised nearly $7,000 towards adult literacy and ESL programs at Literacy Action. Thank you to our sponsors: First Security Bank, First Class Trophies, The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce/Toad Suck Daze, and The Ride. We also appreciate our in kind sponsors: Y107.7, Zaza's Pizza, Ed's Bakery, Outback Steakhouse, and Conway High School. And our volunteers: Derrick Sugg, Andrew Linn, Allison Vetter, Dan Boland, Meyshana Lunon, Lauren Remedios, Sunnie Ruple, and members of Conway Advocates for Biking. Thank you!
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No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?
by: Seth Allen
At Literacy Action, we are constantly pursuing ways to be more interactive, engaging, and holistic in our approach to tutor training and enrichment. That's why we have begun to host more frequent Tutor Luncheons.
For anyone who may not know, these Tutor Luncheons are informal get-togethers (usually on a Wednesday, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm) where one of our staff presents on a topic that may be pertinent to tutors, but that may not fit in our standard training. These topics range from Writers' Notebooks to the use of technology to enhance instruction.
These Tutor Luncheons are also a good way to get acquainted with your fellow tutors and the Literacy Action staff. Oh, and did I mention the best part? Lunch is provided!
 | | Recent Tutor Luncheon attendees (left to right): Elizabeth Plowman, Alice Kunce, Izumi Liss, Freud Reia, Heidi Williams, Gail Vaughn, Wilma Harvey, Marion Elliot, and Katie Keen |
To sign up for one of these Tutor Luncheons, simply keep an eye on our website. On the right side of the screen, you will see all upcoming Literacy Action events. Click on a Tutor Luncheon you'd like to attend and register-- even if you aren't a tutor! We can't wait to see you! |
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Poetry and Progress
by Faye Graham
"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all."
-- Emily Dickinson
As an adult literacy teacher, one of my goals is encouraging my students to become lifelong readers, even lovers, of reading--and, by extension, writers as well. What a joy it is when a student reads a newspaper, does a crossword, reads a novel just for fun, or discovers poetry. I am equally excited when a student learns to generate coherent--even creative--writing.
Most recently, one of my ESL students wrote beautiful reflections on her childhood and her recent introduction to American culture in her Writer's Notebook. Her use of English, when read as prose, seems halting and quirky. Yet when read from the point of view of a poet, her writing becomes lyrical, whimsical, and even profound. While I'm not trained in writing poetry, I nevertheless showed her how to rearrange her words on the page to form a 'verse,' and magically, poems emerged.
For example, one morning she brought me a short narrative paragraph about the local weather which contained some sentence fragments and a few minor punctuation errors. However, with my help, she rearranged the words on the page, removed the punctuation altogether, and used a thesaurus to change one word. The result:
Arkansas Spring
Jay K. Jung -- April 2013
A gusty snowstorm passes twice
A raucous thunderstorm passes thrice
A chill wind passes four times
A handful of wind blows the last dry leaf
Two, three, four blossoms blooming
Two, three, four trees greening
Arkansas spring arrives
Now, we try to spend some of each lesson reading poetry in English: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Ernest Henley ("Invictus" proved both a challenge and a delight), and Edgar Allen Poe, to name just a few.
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