This article and picture were featured in the Neighborhoods section of the Capital Gazette on Thursday, September 26th, 2013.
Edgewater resident Joseph Van Deuren (President-Elect South County Rotary) introduces fellow Edgewater resident Lisa Vernon, director of the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council, during her recent visit to the club. Lisa was a guest speaker and shared information regarding her leadership in an organization that brings the gift of literacy to adults and young people in the county.
Operating since 1977, AACLC offers convenient person-to-person tutoring at no cost to county residents. Volunteers serving the organization receive training geared toward helping out-of-school youth and adults achieve their personal literacy goals, such as attaining the literacy skills needed to get a job, qualifying for a better paying job, keeping the job they currently have, or obtaining their GED. More information about AACLC is available at icanread.org or by calling 410-269-4419.
Eldridge and I have been together since early July. I was a little nervous about my first student but I soon found out I had no reason to be. Eldridge has been great–he’s eager to learn, shows up on time, and always does his homework. I could not wish for a more motivated student.
At our first meeting we went over his assessment and identified what should be the main areas of concentration. We talked about his personal goals and our expectations of one another, and set up a schedule that worked for both of us. We also spoke at length about his interests–world history, science, auto mechanics, and working on cars –and how they could fit into his learning.
Eldridge has made wonderful progress. As was recommended in the tutor training I attended, I created a “portfolio” of his work for him. It’s really satisfying to be able to look back at where we started. One particular accomplishment Eldridge achieved was learning to sign his name in cursive. His reading comprehension skills and his ability to read aloud have also really improved. So has his overall confidence. I am very proud of him!
What do I like about being a tutor? Being inspired is one thing. I like my student’s spirit, his curiosity, and how he seems to find fun in everything. I like being a tutor because it does something for me. This is just the kind of thing I’ve always wanted to do. Watching my student’s eyes light up when the words on the page make sense beats any pay check I could ever receive.
Among her many duties at the Literacy Council, JoAnn arranges for student assessments, communicates daily with assessors, students, government and community agencies and staff, and is now creating our student/tutor matches. Her dedication and compassion for our adult literacy students shines through in every email and phone call she makes on our student’s behalf. We are very fortunate to have JoAnn on our AACLC team!
Phil Tawes, Dixie Catlett, Darryl Byrd, Maggy McCullum and Charlie Catlett were our September tutor trainers, with Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church graciously hosting both tutor training sessions.
On October 26th a Tutor Follow-On Workshop will be held at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church for our thirty three new tutors. We anticipate our next tutor training will be held in February 2014.
Our free adult literacy program offers hope and a second chance in life. In addition to tutoring at all fifteen county libraries, we are also tutoring GED-bound Head Start parents at Shady Side and partner/collaborate with The Abilities Network, Arundel Lodge, Vesta, Chrysalis House, HCAAC, Jennifer Rd. Correctional Facility, the Light House Shelter, Ordinance Rd. Detention Center, The Salvation Army, Department of Social Services, St. Mary’s ESL Program, Waxter Youth Facility, and St. Philip’s Family Life Center Inc. QUAD-E Program. We have 145 tutor/student matches and plan to continue expanding our free adult tutoring program in 2014.
Tutor Liz McKibbin has recently experienced the real secret behind the AACLC’s success. Workbooks, flashcards, and helpful hints may be the tools we use to help adults begin to tackle the mind-blowing difficulty of reading English. But it is simple kindness and patience that underlie the hard work that tutors and students do together.
Liz’s student Linda has only been working with her for a little more than two months. Linda, whose limited experience with the English language was gleaned from listening to people’s conversations and by paying attention to instructions she received at her babysitting job, was very self-conscious and frustrated by her inability to maintain a conversation and make herself understood properly. She despaired of ever finding help until a colleague suggested she contact the AACLC.
When Linda’s tutoring sessions first got underway, Liz noted that “Linda wasn’t quite sure how long our relationship would last and why AACLC volunteers teach people the way we do. She wasn’t expecting such kindness!” But in just a few short weeks, Liz became aware of a big increase in her student’s self-confidence. “Once she realized that I would really be there for her on a regular basis, she simply blossomed. Linda is extremely hardworking and a very easy-going person.”
Liz intuitively knew that focusing on something that had an immediate impact on Linda’s life would be a powerful motivator: “A big step for her was learning Anne Arundel County Environmental and Fire Procedures, a requirement for keeping her job. We studied together for five successive lessons, role playing all the steps she had to master, until she was ready to be tested on them.”
Recently, Linda described the difference her tutoring sessions with Liz have made in her life. Tears of happiness streamed down her face as she remarked: “I felt like I lived in a very small house with lots of windows which I could not open or see through. But now, Miss Liz has come into my life and is opening these windows, one by one, bringing in sunshine and fresh air every time I learn something new.”
AACLC Program Director Lisa Vernon was interviewed by Fay Mauro, Director for the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County in her weekly WNAV Volunteer Voice Spot on August 28. They discussed AACLC’s mission and tutor/student matches, current partnerships, community outreach, and upcoming September tutor training details.
Click on the triangle in the audio player below to hear the five minute interview.
Rain or shine, Deborah (above right) walks two and a half miles each way to reach North County Library for her tutoring sessions with Ray Davis (above left).
She is diligently studying to improve her reading and writing skills so that she can attend Anne Arundel Community College in the Fall. Deborah’s goal is to become a physical therapist assistant.
Dairy (above left) is from Columbia, where she earned a degree in Environmental Engineering. Because of limited English reading and writing skills, she has been employed as an Au Pair in Annapolis. Working with tutor Lana Shires (above right) is helping Dairy move forward with her career goals so that she can find a job in her field.
