Anne Arundel County Literacy Council

Welcome, 2024! What will our students and volunteers accomplish this year? We are looking forward to finding out as the months unfold.

In 2023, our volunteers continued their great work, and students achieved a range of impressive goals, big and small — all contributing to a better quality of life.

Some highlights:

• Six students earned high school diplomas.

• Two students obtained U.S. citizenship.

• Two students passed the ASVAB and enlisted in the U.S. military.

• One student graduated from the nursing program at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC). She took the required national licensing exam at the end of the year and passed to become a Licensed Practical Nurse!

• One former student earned her master’s degree.

• Students continued or started their studies at AACC.

• Twenty-six students advanced at least one level in the curriculum.

• Students worked on resumes and interviewing skills, then sought new jobs and were hired. In 2023, 18 students got new or better jobs!

• Students entered other educational or job training programs.

• Several ESL students improved their ability to communicate in English through conversation, email, and texting.

• Thirteen students reported increasing their involvement in a child’s education.

• Twelve students got library cards and began using them to check out books, log into library computers, and use other AACPL resources.

• Many students increased confidence in their abilities, gained a consumer skill, or improved an employability skill.

• Several students made a healthy lifestyle change.

• Students continued registering to vote and voting.

Our team is also celebrating these volunteer milestones:

• 44 new tutors joined us in 2023.

• We are tutoring at the Jennifer Road Detention Center and the Ordnance Road Correctional Center.*

• Collectively, our volunteers donated more than 14,000 hours in our communities last year.

Congratulations, all!

Thank you for making a difference in Anne Arundel County.

Happy New Year,

Jane

It is hard to believe that we are at the end of 2023. Thank you for all you did this year as a Literacy Council volunteer or supporter. You have contributed to our impact in Anne Arundel County.

This fiscal year, we expect to donate more than 14,000 volunteer hours. Translated to a simple monetary value, this is an investment of over $430,000 in services in communities that need the most help. (Not included in this estimate are the funds we spend on books and materials.)

By May 31, we expect to have served about 200 adult learners, including people at both county detention centers in Annapolis and Glen Burnie. Thank you for your part in this critical collective effort!

We’l be making other posts about how you can help us meet the needs of county immigrant residents in 2024.

We have scheduled our spring new tutor training session for March 2 — please consider referring a friend.

Thank you for your support on #GivingTuesday and throughout our annual membership campaign. If you haven’t submitted your AACLC membership donation yet and would like to, you can donate on the AACLC website or by mailing a check.

Happy Holidays,

Jane