Tutor Susann Felton and Sarah Jones
“Susann played a huge role in helping me pass the GED,” Jones said. “Thanks to her tutoring, I was able to score in the top 10 percent of the country. I am very thankful for the help I got from the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council.”
Please take a moment to look at the recent Baltimore Times article on the Literacy Council, which includes information on our new partnership with the Anne Arundel Community College’s GED program.
Student Edjane Kane and Tutor Bob Mondor
Edjane Kane and her husband came from Brazil to New York City in search of the American dream. Fourteen years later, Edjane has sunk deep roots in our own community: She is now retired and lives in an apartment complex in Glen Burnie. Now that she has more free time, Edjane wants to improve her English skills so that she can more easily converse with her grandson, doctors, and friends.
Not long after Bob Mondor, a retired engineer, completed the Literacy Council’s tutor training, he was assigned to work with Edjane. In just four months, Edjane–a fluent Portuguese and Spanish speaker–has completed Lesson 9 in the Laubach ESL English Book 3, and Lesson 10 in the Laubach Reading Book 3. Bob reports that she already has a fairly extensive vocabulary and excellent reading comprehension, but like all non-native English speakers, struggles with pronunciation at times.
Bob says that his experience as a tutor constantly reminds him of how difficult it is for most people to learn English, particularly when the same word can have two or three different meanings depending on whether it is being used as a noun, a verb or adjective. But Edjane is doing so well in English that her relatives in Brazil constantly ask her to text them in English so that they can improve their own English skills.
Edjane’s confidence is growing more and more with each passing day as she practices reading, engaging in dialogues, and simply chatting with Bob and other friends and family members. “Edjane is extremely dedicated, determined, and learns quickly,” notes her tutor, adding “Although our tutoring sessions are typically three hours long, the time really flies since the experience is so enjoyable!”
You will want to grab your calendar.
Saturday October 15th, from 8:30 – 9:45 a.m., will be our first Literacy Council walkathon in over a decade.
“Literacy Lights the Way” is the theme for the walkathon, which is open to all and will be held on the B & A Trail. Beautiful commemorative t-shirts will be included with registration for this event. Click here for your walk-a-thon brochure and registration/pledge form.
September 17 and October 1 will be our fall tutor training dates. The 2-day training will be held at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park from 9 am to 4 pm on both days. Our trainings fill quickly so be sure to RSVP as soon as possible to reserve a seat.
Two assessor trainings will be held on August 13 and 20, and space is limited. If interested in attending, you must email JoAnn Cook to pre-register.
Finally, please take a moment to read our Student Spotlight featuring Edjane Kane, as well as the Baltimore Times article on the Literacy Council’s new partnership with the Anne Arundel Community College’s GED program. These will be separate posts on the website blog.
Best regards,
Lisa Vernon, Executive Director
Lisa Vernon, Executive Director
Anne Arundel County Literacy Council
301-523-6750 (cell)
Grab your calendars and reserve Saturday, October 15th from 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. for our first Literacy Council walkathon in over a decade.
“Literacy Lights the Way” is the theme for the walkathon, which is open to all and will be held on the B & A Trail. A beautiful commemorative t-shirt will be included with registration for this event. There are details below.
This includes registration form and space for contributions and sponsors. Links below for registering online or by snail mail.CLICK HERE. On most computers, you can right-click for instant download or left-click to view brochure.
Even if you don’t walk, we’d very much appreciate your donation to support our walkers and our cause! Click “Event Donation Page” above to donate online. Or CLICK HERE.
This is for those who wish to download a form and mail it in. It includes a place for you to record contributions from friends and family who might wish to sponsor your participation. No gift is too small, and contributions are 100% tax deductible. CLICK HERE to download form. On most computers, you can right-click for instant download or left-click to view form.
Join the Walk-a-thon to support our organization by clicking “Event Registration Page” above. A beautiful commemorative T-shirt will be included with registration. Or CLICK HERE.
Students Angel Cluckner and Charlene Renaud
Angela “Angel” Cluckner, a woman who has faced and overcome many obstacles throughout her life, came to the Literacy Council in 2007 to improve her reading and writing skills.
An undiagnosed learning disability had led Angel to struggle in school. She notes, “By the time I was in high school I was going in all the wrong directions. If you don’t have a strong base of confidence in life, you’ll attach yourself to anyone.” By the 10th grade, Angel’s parents had taken her out of high school and enrolled her in a beauty school. As the years went on, Angel worked as a hair stylist and busied herself with raising her children.
But by 2006 Angel reached a real turning point when she was forced to “change the subject” one day when her grandchildren asked her to read to them. That embarrassing moment made her determined to develop the kind of reading skills that would enable her to one day receive a high school diploma.
The following year, Angel observed a Literacy Council tutor and an adult student working together at the Glen Burnie library, and said to herself, “I can do this!” Not long after contacting the Council, Angel was matched with a tutor. Following lots of hard work and many hours spent working with her tutor, Angel applied to the Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ National External Diploma program.
The big reward came three years later. Angel’s children and grandchildren were her biggest boosters the day they watched her walk down an aisle, wearing cap and gown, and receive her high school diploma. A friend even bought her a class ring!
Today Angel enthusiastically credits the one-on-one, individualized instruction offered by her AACLC tutor with giving her the kind of confidence it took to believe that she could not only finish high school, but pursue new educational goals. She is now just 4 credits shy from receiving an associate degree in Theology from the Chesapeake Bible College. Angel also serves as an on-call pastor for both the Ordnance Road Correctional Center and the Jennifer Road Detention Center, and leads two Bible study groups for women in recovery. And that’s not all: She continues to work as a hairstylist.
Students Angel Cluckner, Charlene Renaud, and tutor Bonnie Wright
On the website www.everyoneon.org/
If students struggle to think of ideas related to a topic, then this brainstorming exercise from TV411 can helpwww.tv411.org.
http://colorincolorado.org/
Our next 2-day tutor training is scheduled for September 17 & October 1 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, and will include both Basic Literacy and English Language Learner instruction.
We have a class size limit of 35. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in attending this training, please email Anita Ewing at ewing400@gmail.com, or call 410-269-4419 as soon as possible to reserve a seat.
Grab your calendars and reserve Saturday, October 15th from 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. for our first Literacy Council walkathon in over a decade.
“Literacy Lights the Way” is the theme for the walkathon, which is open to all and will be held on the B & A Trail. A beautiful commemorative t-shirt will be included with registration for this event. There are details below.
Even if you don’t walk, we’d very much appreciate your donation to support our walkers and our cause! Click “Event Donation Page” above to donate online. Or CLICK HERE.
Join the Walk-a-thon to support our organization by clicking “Event Registration Page” above. A beautiful commemorative T-shirt will be included with registration. Or CLICK HERE.
You will want to grab your calendars and reserve Saturday, October 15th from 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. for our first Literacy Council walkathon in over a decade.
“Literacy Lights the Way” is the theme for the walkathon, which is open to all and will be held on the B & A Trail. Beautiful commemorative t-shirts will be included with registration for this event. CLICK HERE for details and more information will follow in August.
Finally, Angel and Charlene’s inspiring testimonies on the power of one-on-one literacy tutoring for changing lives are also included in this newsletter. Please take a moment to read them – you will be glad you did!
Best regards,
Lisa Vernon, Executive Director
Lisa Vernon, Executive Director
Anne Arundel County Literacy Council
301-523-6750 (cell)
Thomas Armstrong and Tutor Priscilla Gray
I have a wonderful student. Thomas is motivated and enthusiastic, and there is no question in my mind that he wants to improve his reading. His enthusiasm is what keeps me motivated. I feel that the teaching resources provided to us by the Literacy Council, along with the support and guidance-which is just a phone call away-provides the tools needed to keep his classes interesting.
I found the tutor training instruction to be very well thought out and presented clearly and effectively, especially when you consider the broad spectrum of clients that are served.
During the follow-up session we each shared our experiences to date. It was both interesting and helpful to hear first-hand from other volunteers the pluses and minuses of their tutoring sessions. And we were provided the opportunity for additional coaching. I find the Council to be very committed, energetic and eager to help move us along in our progress with our clients.
I am very pleased with the program. It is much more than I expected. I admire the staff and the dedicated volunteers who have worked together, literally for years, to make this program what it is today. I would be happy to tell anyone interested in volunteering to come and see for yourself if this would be a good fit for you. I am very happy to be a part of this wonderful organization.
Priscilla Gray
Would YOU like to be part of this exciting work? CLICK HERE for more information.
