In these challenging times, we often turn to reflect on better times, so here’s some positive Literacyworks history.
Literacyworks administered the US Department of Education’s Regional Professional Development Center (Region 4) for the Literacy Information and Communication Network System (LINCS) for twenty-one years starting in 1995. At the time, LINCS began at the National Institute for Literacy as mandated by Congress to address adult literacy. Through LINCS, we connected, trained, and provided educational resources for literacy programs in local libraries, adult education programs, and other community and institutional settings throughout Alaska, Hawaii, the western United States and the Pacific Islands (Guam, Northern Marianas, Marshall Islands, Palau, Micronesia).
During the last 25 years, we have produced innovative, dynamic projects. Our Science & Numeracy Special Collection (http://literacynet.org/sciencelincs) included our interactive projects with the National Science Foundation (NSF), Centers for Ocean Science Educational Excellence (COSEE) and NOAA (Ocean Science Station http://www.literacyworks.org/ocean and Polar Science Station http://www.literacynet.org/polar). These contained our field expeditions with disciplinary thrusts, e.g., biology (zooplankton & bacteria), chemistry (trace metals), physics (ocean circulation) for K-12 schools, and ABE/ESL learners. The site also provided links to Internet sites useful for teaching and learning about science and numeracy. We continue to update the site to align with the new Core Curriculum Standards in CA and the US.
Way before anyone was offering streaming educational content, the Learning Resources stories (http://literacynet.org/cnnsf) delivered web-delivered instruction using current and past CNN San Francisco bureau news stories. Each story module includes the full text of each story, steaming video and audio of the broadcast story, and interactive activities to test comprehension. The learner can choose to read the text, listen to the text, or view the broadcast through streaming video.
A group of master instructional designers created each story. The goal was to have a current, consistent, well-designed site that benefits all learners and instructors.
At its peak, 150 countries and all 50 US states accessed the site for English instruction activities. Learning Resources has archived over 70 stories.
EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ARCHIVE PROJECTS
Literacyworks has been committed to support, develop, maintain and advocate for online educational and cultural collections for the last twenty-five years. We are featuring a few of the sites we have collaborated on and hosted over the years with dozens of institutions.
Go to our PROJECTS page (http://www.literacyworks.org/projects) to browse some of our past collections such as:
· PORTRAITS OF PETALUMA PIONEERS
· OCEAN SCIENCE STATION
· POLAR SCIENCE STATION
· LITERACYWORKS CALIFORNIA HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVE (CHLI)
Started in 2015, the Center helps low-literacy, low-income adults who lack the basic skills access career and technical education and persist in college. Our unique learners share a common goal of wanting to succeed in giving back to their families and communities. This is 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 $1,029,000 Adult Literacy Awards scholarships* to over 890 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 2020, our graduates have achieved 19 (AA/AS associated degrees), 14 transfers (to 4-year universities UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSC, Sonoma State, Sac State among others), 70 certificates, and 63 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
Student Advisory Board
The Center is embarking on a new project to serve our students better. It is the creation of a Student Advisory Board, the aim of which is to review program goals and objectives and help expand strategies and activities to further support student success in college. The Board will be composed of current students and alumni of the program. As the Board develops, we envision that they can become mentors to students who are having difficulty in school. We also are planning to have Student Board members take on a leadership role in our regularly scheduled workshops. We have found that students learn best from one another, and our goal is to expand those opportunities further. We also see the potential to develop leadership skills in Board members that will serve them later in life. Please follow this project as it develops.
Student Voices: 2020 Spring Semester Completion Edition
"I am very happy, because this semester I received a computer certificate for completed level 1, 2 3 and level 4. And now for the summer I signed up for level 761.7 of Online Computing. My goal is to continue studying to help my children. With this situation and with the virtual classes for my children ... what little I have studied has been very helpful to me and every time I can help one of my children with their homework ... for me it is a great satisfaction. Thanks for your help!!!”
"Hi! This spring semester I received my child development certificate. I’m still continuing at the JC because I want to get my Associates degree. It was a hard semester because going online was hard at first since I didn’t have WiFi and I had to buy WiFi. Now I’m doing better than the beginning and I managed to pass all my classes thankfully! Thank you so much for reaching out. I appreciate it so much."
“It is pleasure to be able to tell you how my semester was. In the beginning when everything changes to remotely class was difficult, but little by little I could continue with my class despite all the adversities at the time. I am planning to take the class ESL 732 for the summer because that class will help me to improve my computer skills and since the other semester the classes would be remotely that class help me a lot. I take this opportunity to thank the entire Literacyworks team for all the help they have given me."
"Thank you for the opportunity. I will be registering for the fall semester. May the lord continues keeping the program, and the staff under the shadow of his wings."
“This is Georgina reaching out to you that I received my computer certificate and I am enrolled in a computer class for the summer and I am already registered for the Fall. Thank you very much for the support I am receiving from you and the Literacyworks program."
"I am happy to share with you I have done with child development and soon I am going to get a Certificate for Associate Teacher and I finished ESL 100 too, and I like to share with you a video about the challenges I have to face taking an online class, this was my last project for English 100 (https://spark.adobe.com/video/y2TFnN2ulrUBr). Thank you for all your support. I am ready for fall semester!"
SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!
Our low-income students are among the most vulnerable in our community when it comes to suffering during a disaster. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, many of our students are suffering a loss of income and housing. Also, SRJC has been closed since the first of April when online classes began.
Our staff is offering additional support services to ensure our students stay in school and complete their course of study. We are proud that most have persisted and remained.
Thank you for supporting our students with your donation during this difficult time. You are making a difference in their lives with your gift.
