THE CENTER IS CHANGING LIVES AND THE NEED IS GREAT
Some programs provide just a band-aid, but the Center creates real lifelong change
As we near the end of 2019, we want to share with you the accomplishments of the Literacyworks Center and our students and to ask for your continued financial support.
It takes $3,000 a year to enable a Center student to reach their goals and stay in school for a full academic year. We do whatever it takes to help our adults succeed in college, but we can’t do it without you. Your gift of any amount creates meaningful change for our students, families, and their communities. All of our adults are low-income, low-literacy members of our community and are the first in their family to go to college. Many are parents. Their perseverance in reaching their educational goals encourages their children to excel in school and follow their example to attend college.
THE LITERACYWORKS CENTER
This will be the Center’s 5th year of operation. Some of our Center’s accomplishments to date are:
• Enrolled 110 students each semester at SRJC, 90% being Latino
• Provided $942,000 Adult Literacy Awards scholarships* to over 750 low-income, low-literacy students
• Achieved less than a 10% dropout rate each semester (90% retention), well under the 60% average dropout rate for community colleges for this at-risk population
• Increased acceptance by our students to certificate and associate programs and even four-year college programs. As of Spring 2019, our graduates have achieved 13 (AA/AS associated degrees), 11 transfers (to 4-year universities UC Berkeley, UCLA, Sonoma State, Sac State among others), 58 certificates, and 51 GED completions.
*All Adult Literacy Awards scholarships come from a family foundation and go to benefit our students. No scholarship funding is used for program funding
Center students tell us time and again that they work hard and persist because they know that someone is ready and willing to invest in their future. We believe that, with your support, we are making a difference in families’ lives as is reflected in notes from our students.
The Literacyworks Center year-end campaign to enroll additional students on our program for 2020 has begun. All of our adults are low-income, low-literacy members of our community and are the first in their family to go to college. Many are parents. Their perseverance in reaching their educational goals encourages their children to excel in school and follow their example to attend college.
We are asking you to support our students. With your donation, you will help enable Center students to reach their goals and stay in school for a full academic year. We do whatever it takes to help our adults succeed in college and invest in their future, but we can’t do it without you. Your gift of any amount creates meaningful change for our students, families, and their communities.
Please go to our Donation page at http://www.literacyworks.org/donate to help our students succeed.
Literacyworks has been determined a 501 (C)(3) organization by the IRS (EIN: 94-3396412).
A Word about the Recent Fires Impact on our Students
Our low-income students are among the most vulnerable in our community when it comes to suffering during a disaster.
During this last fire, SRJC was closed for a week. Besides the disruption of classes due to the fire, many of our students can suffer a loss of income and housing. Our staff is offering additional support services to ensure they stay in school and complete their course of study. We are proud that most have persisted and remained.
The stress and costs of the fire take a physical and psychological toll on all of our students. What we have found during our student interviews that health literacy and health access is one of their top concerns. In response, we are holding two Health Resources workshops for our students this month in collaboration with SRJC Student Health Services and The Petaluma Health Center on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 and Monday, November 18, 2019. Students will learn about accessing and utilizing healthcare resources on campus and in the community including mental health services.
So thank you for supporting our students with your donation. You are making a difference in their lives with your gift.
