June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and we are taking this opportunity to celebrate the many immigrant students and volunteers in our Literacy Council and local communities.
Our students come from countries all over the world, including Afghanistan, El Salvador, Jamaica, Rwanda, and Ukraine.
Many of our volunteers hail from other places too: Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, and Ireland, to name a handful of our countries of origin.
Thank you all for joining us here and enriching life in Anne Arundel County!
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AACLC Selected as a Courage Project Grant Recipient
In May, the Literacy Council was awarded a “pay-it-forward” grant through The Courage Project — a recently launched initiative that celebrates everyday acts of civic bravery.
Jinny Amundson and Janice Holmes of Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse are among the first recipients of a Courage Project award for their Operation Caged Bird project that provides free banned books to Naval Academy midshipmen. They chose the Literacy Council to receive a $25,000 grant to support our work.
From The Courage Project’s website: “The initiative shines a spotlight on individuals and organizations who take principled stands in the face of adversity. It is supported by a national coalition including: United Way Worldwide, the Freedom Together Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and CFLeads.”
We are grateful to Jinny, Janice, Old Fox, and The Courage Project for this generous support of adult education in Anne Arundel County.
Eleven new tutors became part of the AACLC volunteer team on June 14. Many of them are already matched 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 October, and it will cover tutoring in each of our programs: basic literacy, math, high school diploma preparation, and ESL. Stay tuned for a date and details.
Please continue referring neighbors or friends you think could be committed AACLC tutors to us.
Interested trainees should contact Jane at director@aaclc.org.
Our next tutor training session has been scheduled for June 14 at Woods Church in Severna Park!
We’re always looking for new, dedicated tutors. We have a waiting list of eager adult learners hoping for a tutor. Please consider referring neighbors or friends you think could be committed AACLC tutors.
Email Jane at director@aaclc.org to sign up. Space is limited.
Above is a snapshot of our student demographics for FY25
As of April 30, we know that AACLC tutors have worked with 178 students so far this fiscal year, which closes on May 31. We assessed 71+ new or returning students throughout the year.
In addition to these students, we evaluated and tutored 83 students at county correctional/detention centers.
In a few weeks, when we add up all the Literacy Council volunteer hours donated in 2025, we’ll likely surpass 16,000. Translated to a simple monetary value, these hours contributed more than $540,000 to Anne Arundel County communities where assistance is needed most.
Student Achievements Through April
Five AACLC students earned high school diplomas this fiscal year!
Seventeen students got a job or promotion, three entered other educational or training programs, 24 improved an employability skill, ten increased their involvement in a child’s education, two obtained citizenship, one passed the ASVAB exam, and 41 improved their ability to communicate in English!
The impact of our work reaches beyond our students and extends to their children, families, workplaces, and communities.
Tutors, assessors, and volunteers — thank you for all you are doing to help improve lives in Anne Arundel County!
After a six-year hiatus, we held our annual Appreciation Dinner at Woods Church on May 1. The evening was a success. About 150 people attended the buffet dinner and celebration.
Maryland Delegate Dana Jones (District 30A) gave the keynote address. She was joined at the event by our students, volunteers, and special guests, including Councilwoman Lisa Rodvien (District 6), representatives from the Annapolis Family Support Center, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, the County Executive’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, Seeds 4 Success, and the Maryland Department of Human Services, Anne Arundel County.
Several students movingly shared about their experience with tutoring.
Thank you to all who attended and the volunteers who helped plan, put on, and provide desserts for the event.
Huge thanks to Woods Church for the generous donation of space and staff time to host the dinner.
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Rock the Dock
Thursday, June 5, 6 – 10 pm
Hosted by the Annapolis Rotaract Club
at the Annapolis Maritime Museum.
A fundraiser benefiting Literacy Council programs.
Tickets are just under $82 each, plus fees.
Purchase here.
Please consider donating an item to the silent auction for the event — anything fun imaginable. Please email me if you have something to donate or want more information.
