Welcome New Tutors!

March 18, 2024

Post image for Welcome New Tutors!

Fifteen new tutors joined the AACLC team of volunteers on March 2 at our spring tutor training session. Many of them are already working with students. Thank you to our training team, these eager new volunteers, and our hosts, Woods Church in Severna Park.

The next session will be scheduled for June, and it will focus on training new ESL tutors. Stay tuned for details.

Please continue referring neighbors or friends who you think could be committed AACLC tutors to us.

Interested trainees should contact Jane at director@aaclc.org.

Post image for Save the Date: AACLC Book Fair 9/28/24

Save the Date

Our fourth-annual fundraiser BOOK FAIR will be on Saturday, September 28, at Westfield Annapolis Mall. The mall kindly donates its Community Room and Crate & Barrel Court space for this wonderful event.

We’ll share news on book donations, sponsorships, and plans soon.

Join our book fair team

We need even more volunteers as the event grows and grows — please be on the lookout for detailed sign-up opportunities coming via email this spring.

We will form a book fair planning committee in the weeks ahead. Let us know if you’d like to be part of the fun leading up to September 28!

Post image for English Conversation Group to Launch in Eastport

We’re Launching an English Conversation Group in Eastport

On Friday, March 29, from 5 until 7 pm, the Literacy Council is hosting a conversation group at the Seeds 4 Success office in the Eastport Shopping Center. Participants will be welcome to meet other adult English language learners, practice English in a friendly environment, and enjoy games and light refreshments.

The group is most suited to Spanish speakers, and space is limited to 15 people.

AACLC tutor Mary Waters will facilitate the evening. Mary has experience as an ESL tutor with the Literacy Council and with Catholic Charities, where she volunteered as an ESL teacher for many years.

Thanks to Seeds 4 Success for hosting this fun event, which we hope to continue offering on the last Friday evening of every month.

Literacy Council tutors or students should email Wendy if they plan to attend.

Post image for Chromebook Giveaway Continues at Local Libraries

AACPL (Anne Arundel County Public Library) is giving free Chromebooks to eligible low-income residents of Anne Arundel County. Visit the library’s website for information on qualifying for the opportunity and Giveaway dates at various branches.

 

(En Español: Computadoras Gratuitas)

Post image for It’s National Reading Month!

Adult Literacy Affects All of Us

Approximately 48 million adults in the United States can not read above a third-grade level (ProLiteracy). According to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, 54% of adults struggle to read, write, and comprehend proficiently, which impacts their daily lives.

“This crisis affects all of us—lying at the core of the multigenerational cycles of poverty, poor health, and low educational attainment that impact our families, businesses, communities, and our nation as a whole” — Barbara Bush Foundation.

The AACLC’s programs address adult literacy needs in Anne Arundel County, where the low literacy rate among adults is 14.9%. To see what literacy looks like in our communities, Maryland, and surrounding areas, visit the Barbara Bush Foundation’s Literacy Gap Map. (The Gap Map will be updated at the end of this year, revealing the impact of the pandemic.)

ProLiteracy publishes an adult literacy fact sheet that highlights some of the costs of low literacy, including the challenges faced by immigrants.

Pile of books in front of student with green shirt

Post image for Director’s Message March 2024

Since the beginning of the year, we have been busy welcoming students, matching them with tutors, and training new volunteers. These are all worthy reasons to celebrate National Reading Month!

March is also Women’s History Month. Did you know that the Literacy Council was founded by a small group of women who saw the need for local literacy tutoring back in 1977? We’ve been impacting local adult education and opportunity ever since.

Thank you for all you do,

Jane

Jane Seiss, Executive Director AACLCJane Seiss, Executive Director
Anne Arundel County Literacy Council

 

 

 

Post image for Resources and Activities (March/April 2024)

Broadneck Library will be closed April 1 – 16.

All AACPL branches closed April 6 – 7.


211 Maryland

Help is a call or text away.

For anyone facing difficulties, dialing 2-1-1 connects callers with trained health and human services personnel who provide guidance and help with a range of needs, from utility assistance to legal guidance to mental health help.

211 help is available in more than 100 languages. Please see 211md.org to know all that the service offers. Calls are confidential, and there is a texting option as well.

Anne Arundel County Food Pantry & Resource List

This list, 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.

Celebrate Women’s History Month at the Library

Various events at multiple branches in March

https://www.aacpl.net/womens-history-month

Language Exchange at Brooklyn Park Library

Wednesday, March 20, 6 pm – 7:30 pm

Practice English or Spanish in a fun and informal setting.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-142376

also scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 6 pm – 7:30 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-142377

and for Wednesday, May 15, 6 pm – 7:30 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-142378

Korean-English Language Hour at Severn Library

Monday, March 18, 7 pm – 8 pm

From the library’s website:

Practice your English or Korean language skills. Snacks, conversation prompts, and information about library and county resources will be provided.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/korean-english-language-hour-hanyeong-eoneo-gyohwan-sigan-139823

English Conversation Club on Zoom

Monday, March 18, 7 pm – 8:30 pm

Practice English conversation in an online conversation group with adults of any native language. Registration is open from March 4 at 10 a.m. until March 18 at 7 p.m. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. The Maryland City at Russett Library hosts this online club, which is ongoing. More dates will be scheduled, and they include April 15 and May 13.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/english-conversation-club-133074

Discover English Conversation Club at Discoveries Library

Monday, April 8, 6 pm – 7 pm

Adults at all proficiency levels are welcome to practice speaking English. All languages are welcome, and children may accompany their parents. Call the branch at 410-222-0133 for more information. https://www.aacpl.net/event/discover-english-conversation-club-club-de-conversacion-descubriendo-ingles-143350

also scheduled for Monday, May 6, 6 pm – 7 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/discover-english-conversation-club-club-de-conversacion-descubriendo-ingles-143351

English/Spanish Exchange at Busch Annapolis Library

Wednesday, April 3, 7 pm – 8 pm

Practice English and Spanish conversation in an informal environment. All levels are welcome. This event is for adults.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/englishspanish-exchange-intercambio-de-idiomas-144728

English-Spanish Conversation Hour at Glen Burnie Library

Thursday, April 11, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Thursday, May 9, 7:30 pm _ 8:30 pm

Practice your English or Spanish conversation skills, enjoy snacks, and learn about library and county resources. This event is for teens (11 yrs+) and adults.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/english-spanish-conversation-hour-150615

Language Exchange at Brooklyn Park Library

Wednesday, March 20, 6 pm – 7:30 pm

Practice English or Spanish in a fun and informal setting.

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-142376

also scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 6 pm – 7:30 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-142377

and for Wednesday, May 15, 6 pm – 7:30 pm

https://www.aacpl.net/event/language-exchangeintercambio-de-idiomas-142378

Thank you, ProLiteracy!

February 23, 2024

Post image for Thank  you, ProLiteracy!

ProLiteracy has supported the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council through its Literacy Opportunity Fund. The grant we received will support operations and our ESL program, allowing us to better serve Anne Arundel County adults who are working to improve their English language skills.

ProLiteracy is an international organization that has been empowering adults through literacy for more than 60 years. The AACLC is a member, and we rely on ProLiteracy for training opportunities, student coursework materials, and more.

Post image for Podcast on the Science of Reading

In case you’d like to know more about how reading is taught in American schools and how things are changing, check out this listen:

Hard Words: a podcast from American Public Media (APM) and journalist Emily Hanford. What happened in Bethlehem, PA, when the school district adopted methods of teaching reading that honored research findings?

Post image for All Maryland Public Schools to Use Science of Reading Methods Starting Next School Year

On January 23, the Maryland State Board of Education called for the statewide adoption and implementation of literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading starting with the 2024-25 academic year. “Our goal is to ensure that more Maryland students have foundational literacy skills that equip them for lifelong success,” said Interim State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright.