Friends of The Literacyworks Center
We've seen the first waves of enrollment at The Literacyworks Center at Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma. We can clearly see that the need is great to support adult students in the North Bay. Some of these adults thought their low literacy skills meant that an education was out-of-reach; some thought their barriers to persistence such as dependent children, no transportation, and low income meant they'd never be able to afford junior college or a vocational program. But now these adults are enrolled in classes and actualizing their hopes for a better future.
We want to ensure these adult students stay in their classes and succeed in programs which will allow them to make a living wage. That is why we're reaching out to invite talented and generous individuals in our community who share our vision to join the "Friends of The Literacyworks Center."
We are honored to have Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (retired) coordinate this group of Friends. At a meeting of interested Friends in February we met with a diverse group of individuals who became acquainted with our program. It's evident that the advice and input of such a group is essential to provide the support needed for our adult students at The Center. We're looking for folks to work in arenas such as outreach, publicity, and fundraising. We are also looking for tutors to join our Center Tutor group.
Are you someone who shares our vision too? Friends of The Center will meet the first Wednesday of each month at 6 pm. The meeting place will be determined based on the number of Friends attending. If you're interested, please call our Administrator Rita at (707) 981-8086 or email her at rita@literacyworks.org. We'd love to have you join our team!
Update on Student Enrollment at The Literacyworks Center
Our staff at The Center have been recruiting underrepresented and disadvantaged adult students from all over Sonoma and Marin counties for the Winter Semester at Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma Campus. Some of these students have enrolled in ESL courses, others are taking introductory college courses, while others are enrolled in vocational program classes.
Altogether we have 75 adult students pursuing their educational goals! Some have already been matched with one-on-one tutors. A total of $88,000 in Adult Literacy awards has been handed out. And quite wonderfully, "Thank You" letters have been received by Center Director Chris Schultz from appreciative students.
We now have a waiting list for Fall Semester of new students. Twelve young adults from Tomales (West Marin County) will be attending Santa Rosa JC in the fall with the support of Literacyworks Center. Most of the group live on ranches and have children, and have never attended college. They will be studying English as a second language with the initial goal of increasing their fluency and their confidence. The Center’s focus is on providing an introduction to the culture of college, reducing financial barriers and supporting their academic success.
We of course thank all our generous donors and recruiters such as Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, North Bay Children's Center, The Codding Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, Redwood Credit Union and individual donors who've made our program possible. Thank you!!!
