Literacy News

Big things are shaping up for 2013 for both learners and tutors alike. Last Wednesday, February the 6th, a group of our learners joined up at the Adult Literacy Resource Center on the third floor of the MLK library for a reading of Through My Eyes, by Ruby Bridges. Afterward learners were given a hard copy of the award-winning autobiography. The reading was one part of the ongoing series A Feel For Books, a series of book discussions for adult learners held by the ALRC throughout the year. If you would like to know more you may contact our office (and ask for Leitha or Dave) for more information.

We are also pleased to announce the 'addition' of Koya Bakare to the LVA family. Koya will be assuming the role of  Volunteer Coordinator, including matching learners with tutors. Koya has previously served with LVA as our Summer book club volunteer, and currently serves as a tutor. Koya brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to LVA. Her dedication to literacy coupled with her passion for educating make Koya's presence a natural fit.         

Save the date: Saturday, March 2nd LVA is holding a tutor training here at LVA headquarters from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It is not too late to sign up, so give us a call at (202)-387-1772 or email Koya at (leitha@lvanca.org).

   
In other news, many of our students are taking part in the 2013 Women's History Month Essay Contest. The contest is open to Adult Learners of all genders and all levels of proficiency and the guidelines can be obtained by clicking below:

Essay Contest

 

The Grand Prize for the winning entry (in each level) is a brand new laptop! Tutors may assist learners in freeing their submissions of errors (i.e. punctuation, spelling, etc...)

  

People are forced, often unwillingly, to be in the dark. 

But every Monday through Wednesday, David serves as the literacy instructor and program assistant for the first and second level Adult Basic Education classes that are held at Wardman Court. He works closely with Leitha Wilson, the lead instructor/administrator for LVA. 

David says the good thing is that given the commitment of LVA instructor and tutors, "It's like teaching folks to see for the first time." 

David hopes to help open up more eyes to the important work that LVA does in DC teaching people about reading, mathematics, and critical thinking once the video he has been working on is completed next month. 

Ms. Wilson credits David with possessing energy, good classroom manners, and adeptness with learning technologies. All are significant assets for LVA this year. "David relates well to students and they respond to him as well," notes Ms. Wilson. 

David comes to LVA from Greensboro, North Carolina where he completed his college studies.  He finds that many people in DC lack the necessary literacy skills needed to make it in a bottom line society. 

Due to the precedence companies now place on advanced skills, LVA learners find it increasingly difficult to be hired. Not surprisingly, David finds, many learners "may not feel that they have a voice." 

Not only does LVA seek to boost the literacy levels of its learners, another important part of its mission is to advocate on behalf of the less literate citizenry of DC to the power brokers of the city. 

David asserts:  LVA learners pretty much "have no other place else to go" to obtain help in raising their literacy skills. "But we do not have the resources to accommodate the people that we'd like.  We have a waiting list." 

Meredith asserts that being able to read and write matters whether you are taking the Metro, cooking a new recipe, or filling out a job application. She knows from experience the difficulties many people have in being able to read well. 

Growing up, Meredith had difficulty reading. She remembers spending hours being tutored and wondering why something that came  easily to many of her classmates was so difficult for her. 

"But I aways loved stories," recalls Meredith. "That made me determined to learn. I was aware of the worlds that could be unlocked through reading." 

Now, thanks to her perseverance, Meredith is a much better reader, so much so that she can now teach others how to overcome their own difficulties. She says her work with LVA is a learning experience in itself. 

"People learn in many different ways. I have been trying to accommodate that," explains Meredith.

Meredith has a passion for education. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University, she spent time working as a preschool and after-school teacher. That experience sparked her interest in education which was furthered by an internship at the Supreme Court of the United States working under the curator. She led tours and conducted courtroom lectures. 

Later, she worked as a museum educator at the Children's Museum in Cleveland. Now, Meredith is studying for a Master's of Arts in the Museum Education Program at George Washington University. That has led her to LVA where learners and staff alike feel fortunate to have her apply her knowledge and understanding of reading difficulties to help learners to fulfill their true potential.