Anne Arundel County Literacy Council

Creative Writing Workshop at Detention Center

September 28, 2026

AACLC Tutor Runs Creative Writing Workshop at Jennifer Road Detention Center

A Literacy Council tutor recently launched a creative writing workshop for women at the Jennifer Road Detention Center. She shares about this special offering:

Guiding a creative writing workshop for women at the Jennifer Road Detention Center, affirms the extraordinary power and beauty of the human imagination. Writing includes paragraphs written during the session and short stories assigned for the next meeting. Reading aloud their writings, the young women share their vision of worlds imagined and plots of intrigue with vivid descriptions, cliffhangers, and surprise endings. Rewarding and inspirational, this volunteer experience celebrates the resilience and creativity of the human imagination.

Resource material: PEN America’s “The Sentences That Create Us: Crafting A Writer’s Life in Prison.”

– Susan H. Volunteer, Anne Arundel County Literacy Council

Adult Literacy Resources September 2026

September 24, 2026

Six AACPL branches are now open on Sundays

Community Resources at icanread.org

The Community Resources page on our website at icanread.org features an organized list of government and community resources available to residents of Anne Arundel County. It includes websites and phone numbers for government departments and services, library resources, education, employment, immigration, and food assistance.

The Community Resources page is available in Spanish. En Español: Recursos comunitarios.

Anne Arundel County Health Department Website

Visit our local health department website for information on services, vaccines, and other health topics.

AACPL & Luminus Health Free Flu Vaccinations

Eastport Annapolis Neck Library

Tuesday, September 29, 1 – 3:30 pm

Luminis Community Health Improvement Department is providing free flu vaccinations for adults and seniors only.

AACPL & Luminus Health Flu Vaccine Clinic

Busch Annapolis Library

Thursday, October 8, 1 – 4 pm

Free flu shots for adults ages 18 and older. No ID or health insurance required. Standard dose and senior dose (65+) available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Anne Arundel County Food Pantry & Resources

This resources page, published by the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and updated regularly, provides information on where to find free food and basic necessities throughout the county. Pantry locations, contact numbers, and hours are included. Visit the resources page to download a pantry map that lists food, baby, and senior pantries all over Anne Arundel County.

OIC of Anne Arundel County ESL Classes

Free virtual ESL classes at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Call OIC’s partner, the Center of Help (Centro de Ayuda), at 410-295-3434 to enroll.

AACPL Online English Conversation Club

Thursday, September 24, 6:30 – 7:30 pm, on Zoom

Registration required & opens on September 10.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/english-conversation-club-241559

Also scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 6:30 – 7:30 pm.

Registration required & opens on October 8

https://www.aacpl.net/event/english-conversation-club-241563

and Thursday, November 19, 6:30 – 7:30 pm

Registration required & opens on November 5.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/english-conversation-club-241569

Language Exchange at Busch Annapolis Library

Saturday, October 24, 3 – 4:30 pm, in the library cafe

https://www.aacpl.net/event/intercambio-de-idiomaslanguage-exchange-240108

Language Exchange at Linthicum Library

Monday, October 12, 6 – 7 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-238076

also occurs on Monday, November 9, 6 – 7 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-238078

Language Exchange at Brooklyn Park Library

Wednesday, October 21, 6 – 7:30 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-241782

also occurs on Wednesday, November 18, 6 – 7:30 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-241783

AACLC’s English Conversation Group in Eastport

Monday, September 28, 5 – 7 pm

Seeds 4 Success office

The group is most suited to Spanish speakers, and space is limited to 15 people. The evening features a welcoming atmosphere, enjoyable conversation, games, and light refreshments. Literacy Council tutors or students should email Mary Ellen if they plan to attend.

AACLC’s Crofton English Conversation Group

Gathers 2nd Wednesdays:

Wednesday, October 14, 5 – 7 pm

Wednesday, November 11, 5 – 7 pm

Crofton Library

The group is open to all English language learners. The evening features a welcoming atmosphere, enjoyable conversation, games, and light refreshments. Literacy Council tutors or students should email Matthew if they plan to attend.

Director’s Message September 2026

September 24, 2026

Only a few days until our book fair this Saturday, September 26!

Please share with students, neighbors, and friends — we’ll be inside the mall, outside Crate & Barrel and the Discoveries Library, with thousands of gently used books of all genres.

Don’t miss our raffle baskets, filled with prizes such as delicious wines, restaurant gift cards, and much more.

Thank you to reading enthusiasts for donating from throughout Anne Arundel County, and to the local businesses supporting the book fair with sponsorships and gifts. We couldn’t do this without such generosity and the work of our team of summer volunteers who coordinated, collected, sorted, and stored books.

All proceeds will benefit our free adult tutoring programs.

I hope to see you there. Please invite your students and their families.

Many thanks for all you do,

Jane

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Book Previews on Instagram

August 22, 2026

Book Previews are Featured on our Instagram @aacoliteracy

Follow BOOK FAIR updates on our social media at Facebook and Instagram.

Seeds 4 Success Annual School Supply Drive

August 21, 2026

Literacy Council partner, Seeds 4 Success, is holding its annual back-to-school supply drive. If you’d like to purchase items for Seeds 4 Success participants, please visit the organization’s wishlist. Thank you for your support!

Heritage Harbour Fitness Club

August 20, 2026

Heritage Harbour Fitness Club Supports Our Work

Also in July, the Morning Fitness Club at Heritage Harbour in Annapolis raised $1,000 for our free programs. The Morning Fitness Club is committed to contributing on a regular basis to the welfare of humans and animals in the Annapolis community. Thank you, Heritage Harbour supporters!

Thank you, Sherwood Forest Community!

August 19, 2026

Bess & Jennifer presented Sherwood Forest donations to the Literacy Council at Discoveries Library in July.

The Literacy Council was honored to accept a gift of nearly $3,000 from Sherwood Forest neighbors through the community’s Giving Tree Project. Friends and neighbors gathered for a social occasion and donated funds to support the Literacy Council’s work. We are grateful for this kind and generous gift.

We’re Accepting New Students

August 18, 2026

The Economic Costs of Low Literacy

August 17, 2026

Low literacy costs the US economy over $300 billion in lost earnings, lower workplace productivity, higher crime, & more government assistance.

Low literacy costs the US economy over $300 billion a year in lost earnings, lower workplace productivity, higher crime, and more government assistance.

Reaching level 3 proficiency in literacy and numeracy improves a person’s economic, social, and educational outcomes.
80% of people living in poverty read at level 2 or below.
Those with skills at level 1* or below are four times more likely to live in poverty.
Children born to parents with low-literacy skills are likely to have low skills themselves, perpetuating poverty and other socioeconomic issues.

Adult education works!

Increasing a person’s literacy skills by just one level makes them 50% less likely to live in poverty.
In adult education programs nationwide, 47% of adult learners made gains in skills over the course of a year…
More than 80% of our students made progress on individual goals in 2025/26.

* People reading at level 1 (the lowest level) can understand very short, simple sentences.

Learn more about adult literacy and skills on ProLiteracy’s Fact Sheet.

Thank you Anne Arundel County!

August 16, 2026

The Literacy Council has been awarded critical support from local government for FY27. Grants from the County Executive’s Community Support Grant Program and the City of Annapolis will help make our free programs possible.

We are grateful for this funding, which is essential to our work and mission.

*69 local nonprofits will receive County Executive Community Support Grants.

The Literacy Council was among 69 organizations that will receive funds. $2 million will be distributed among grant recipients. For more information about this program, read the County’s press release.

*The City of Annapolis is backing our mission.

Annapolis also offers a Community Grant Program, and the Literacy Council will be a beneficiary. Funds will support our programs for Annapolis residents.

Last year, we worked with more than 80 Annapolis students. Highlights include that five earned high school diplomas, seven passed a GED section, six got a better job or promotion, 15 improved their ability to communicate in English, and five improved an employability skill.

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