Literacy is not simply having the ability to read, but being able to correctly understand and use the English language at age appropriate levels.
In Grand Rapids, nearly 22 percent of adults read below a ninth grade level. This type of low literacy deeply impacts employment opportunities, income levels and parenting abilities.
For nearly 25 years, the Literacy Center of West Michigan has been working to change the lives of individuals by improving their reading and language skills. They offer one-on-one tutoring, community-based training to groups and schools, and customized workplace training for employers. In the last year, they have served approximately 1,500 people in West Michigan.
“We’re leading the effort to improve literacy,” says the organization’s Public Relations Specialist, Tatum Rucker. “That’s always been the goal.”
When people contact them, the first thing the Literacy Center does is identify what the learner’s goal is, whether that’s improving reading and writing skills or improving their English language skills.
People come to the Center for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they have a learning disability or they dropped out of high school. In other cases, visitors are recent immigrants or they never learned to speak, read or write the English language.
The Literacy Center relies on more than 300 volunteers to help with its one-on-one, personalized tutoring program. This program is open to anyone and for as long as needed.
“We’ll stick with them as long as we can and we have a tutor to work with them,” says Rucker.
The Center offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes that can be customized for employers, community-based or for individuals. Individual classes run 6-8 weeks and cost $25. The Customized Workplace English program is typically tailored to offer on-site, specific ESL training in the employer’s industry and allows employees to be able to communicate more effectively at work. Spectrum Health, Butterball Farms and Bookings.com are a few of the employers who have offered this training to their employees.
Training is also provided at the Literacy Center to prepare individuals for the National Career Readiness Certificate. After a person passes this testing, they receive a certificate that lets employers know they have obtained a certain level of math, reading and writing skills and are employable.
In addition to these programs, the Literacy Center partners with the Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Schools of Hope Reading Program. While the United Way provides the tutoring for students, the Literacy Center provides tutoring and instruction to the parents to help with English language, reading and writing skills. They give parents the tools needed to support their child’s academic success. This program currently serves seven elementary schools and is expanding to more. It also recently won a Governor’s Service Award.
The Literacy Center’s programs are funded through federal and local grants, corporate sponsors and individual donations.
Volunteers are always needed for the adult tutoring program to teach reading, writing and grammar skills. Before any tutoring begins, goals are established with everyone involved and a curriculum is developed. The location and times for the tutoring are flexible once the tutor and learner are matched, and the Literacy Center asks for a commitment of 3-4 hours per week.
“It takes that long to see some actual progress with an adult learner,” says Rucker.
The Literacy Center contextualizes the tutoring to fit in with their every day life. If they want to learn how to read to their children, they teach them that. Or if they want to learn how to do certain activities at work, they develop a way to train them on that as well.
“We try to make it practical for that person’s goals and life,” says President and CEO Susan Ledy.
Last year, the Literacy Center launched the Community Literacy Initiative, which is a coalition of more than 80 agencies who play a part of solving illiteracy.
“We wanted to take a leadership role in figuring out how we all fit into the puzzle of improving literacy,” says Ledy. “It gives a greater awareness to the community that there is this organized initiative.”
The upcoming Community Literacy Summit to be held on September 19 is designed to bring the group back together again to celebrate the work that has been done so far and to develop a plan for the future. More than 200 community leaders, teachers, agencies and parents are expected to attend. The registration deadline for this all-day event at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center is September 9.
Following the Community Literacy Summit, the Literacy Center plans to launch an online community literacy directory listing of all of the organizations involved with literacy. The aim is for it to be a valuable resource for tutoring programs, class listings, volunteer opportunities and more.
Other fall Literacy Center events include the Books for Bedtime book drive, which kicks off September 20 at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.
The annual fundraiser Wine & Words is a casual, fun event with wine, food and games. This year, it will be held at the home of Mark Peters on October 11.
The Literacy Center of West Michigan is committed to helping people reach their full potential through language and reading skills. Here are some ways you can support them in making sure everyone has this opportunity:
Sources: Susan K. Ledy, M.A., President and CEO of the Literacy Center of West Michigan and Tatum Rucker, M.A., Public Relations Specialist
Writer: Heidi Stukkie, Do Good Editor
Photos provided by the Literacy Center of West Michigan.