March 2020

IN THE WORKS

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Families that Read Together Succeed Together

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“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ― Albert Einstein

Parents are a child’s first and most influential teachers.

Parent involvement is the number one predictor of early literacy success and future academic achievement. Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that reading daily to young children, starting in infancy, stimulates early brain development and helps build key language, literacy and social skills.

From birth to five, a child learns at a speed unmatched the rest of his or her life.  Early learning experiences such as reading provide a love of learning and strongly affects success in school, work and in life.

Yet more than one in three American children start kindergarten without the skills they need to learn to read. About two-thirds of children can’t read proficiently by the end of the third grade. Low literacy skills are directly linked to greater inequality, higher unemployment, less earned income and poor health.

Daily reading and talking with children develops the necessary foundation for success in math, science, reading, a continued love of learning, and social and emotional connections.

A Huffington Post article (dated 09/30/2010) listed 5 Benefits of Reading to Children.

Building Bonds
Reading is one of the best ways to develop deep attachments with one’s children. Scholastic suggests parents schedule reading sessions daily and use the moments to enrich their relationships with their children and build their vocabularies.

Secret to Success
Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (2013) research showed that children four to five years of age who are read to three to five times a week are six months ahead of their peers in terms of reading expertise. Children who are read to daily are a year ahead of those who are read to less frequently.

Rich Vocabulary Equals Advantage
Educator Jim Trelease observes that there is a clear difference between conversing with a child and reading to him or her: "The language in books is very rich, and in books there are complete sentences. In books, newspapers, and magazines, the language is more complicated, more sophisticated. A child who hears more sophisticated words has a giant advantage over a child who hasn't heard those words." 

Teaching by Example
Reading increases a child's attention span and a parent's own cognitive ability, Trelease says. It is one of the most essential and valuable activities kids can inherit from parents simply by observing them being engrossed in a book or magazine.

Boosting Self Esteem and Communications Skills
Early readers will be equipped with the vocabulary necessary to communicate to their peers, teachers, and parents. Children who have the ability to find the words they want to use are more likely to have a strong self-image, sense of confidence, and higher academic standing.

Bottom Line: Parents, read to your children. Children, read to your parents. We’ll all be better off for it.

PARENT READING WORKSHOPS

Literacyworks Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy program works with low-literacy, low-income bilingual parents & children through a combination of access to resources in the home & the community & by training parents in the basic skills to encourage their children to become avid readers. The goal is to help parents view their parenting role in a positive manner, have appropriate expectations of their children's achievements, prepare their children with the necessary skills to be successful in school, and establish and maintain positive relations with community resources, including libraries, schools, and community groups. At the end of each workshop, each family receives a bag of books and educational materials for their preschoolers.

Literacyworks Center

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One of the core activities the Center provides its students is a series of workshops held several times throughout each semester. These workshops focus on a wide variety of topics ranging from study skills to health care to a better understanding of how to access college support programs.

An unexpected by-product of these gatherings has been the creation of an informal Literacyworks community, where students come to know and are known by one another. Although our students are working at very different academic levels, they share in common being new to college, being first-generation college students, and having some degree of difficulty fitting into the culture of the college.

At a recent workshop, we broke into small groups to discuss the challenges facing students both in and outside of school. The conversations became lively, offering advice, listening carefully to one another, and enjoying the comradery of sharing with one another. We then moved around the room, having each group report out about their insights into the obstacles they face. Family commitments, time management, money, work, and a lack of confidence in their academic ability were a few of the common issues identified. One of our new students sat quietly for much of the session. When asked what challenges she faced, she paused and said that just getting to college, finding the classroom and learning new technologies so she can read was a challenge. She explained to the group that she had become blind over the last ten years. The rest of the group had an opportunity to reflect on their challenges with a slightly different perspective. \

For more information, go to www. literacyworks.org or email info@literacyworks.org

Literacyworks February 2020

In the Works

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The Transformative Power of Writing

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In 2020, our theme for the Lecture Series and Literacyworks Center workshops will be the Transformative Power of Writing. Writing and reading go hand-in-hand. You need to read to write well and write to read well.

We will seek speakers who can help inspire low-literacy adults to become confident writers through their own personal stories. And we will offer workshops on writing to our students and the community.

Research suggests that adults of all ages are not flexible, confident writers. Poor writers tend to have poor school performance with high drop-out rates. These adults are underprepared for postsecondary education or successful employment. Our adult students must be taught to improve their writing skills and increase their confidence in their ability to write to further their education or work advancement. The writing demands of most entry-level jobs are growing. Businesses complain that it is difficult to find workers that can write at even a basic level.

There are two ways to become a better writer: write a lot and read a lot. Reading and writing are inseparable. The better writers tend to be exceptional readers, and better readers can produce excellent writing. A writer who doesn’t read is like a musician who doesn’t listen to music or a filmmaker who doesn’t watch films. It is impossible to do good work without experiencing the good work that has gone before.

A well-read writer has a better vocabulary, recognizes the nuances of language, and distinguishes between poor and quality writing. Stephen King, said: “Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.“

Reading helps us make connections to our own experiences and emotions, so reading makes you a better writer and a better communicator. Nothing inspires us as writers, whether it’s writing a letter, a journal entry, a report, or the next great American novel, like reading someone else’s words.

Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.
– William Faulkner

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THE CENTER IS CHANGING LIVES AND THE NEED IS GREAT

 SOME PROGRAMS PROVIDE JUST A BAND-AID, BUT THE CENTER CREATES REAL LIFELONG CHANGE 

Student Profile

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Literacyworks Center has a few husband and wife participants in the program, but starting this spring semester, we will be supporting a husband, wife, and son. Erika and Pedro began the program four years ago, both taking English as Second Language classes. As their English improved, they started taking college-level courses and are doing very well. Erika focuses on psychology and sociology. Her personal and professional goal is to work on creating supportive and inclusive communities that celebrate both diversity and individuality. Pedro is studying business while he works in the foodservice industry. His long- term goal is to start his own business. He will be transferring to a university very soon. In our ‘one to one’ interview, we learned of their deep commitment to their community and their family. It was in this context that we heard about their son Peter. Peter recently graduated from high school and wants to attend Santa Rosa Junior College to continue studying music. He is taking basic skills classes, along with a variety of music classes. He appears committed to his success in school. We all know how important it is for parents to be positive models for their children. Theirs is a perfect example of how a loving and supportive family can, through education, create optimistic futures for themselves.

Thank you to all our supporters including:

LITERACYWORKS YEAR END WRAP December 2019

Literacyworks is changing lives.
Some programs provide just a band-aid, but Literacyworks creates real lifelong change.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE LITERACYWORKS STAFF!

As our tradition, we offer our Literacyworks “Top Ten List” (in no particular order) of all the great things that happened in 2019 and a few more for which we're grateful. But first, our featured student.

Student Spotlight: Noemi

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The Center supports 110 remarkable students that are working hard to improve their lives through education. One young woman, Noemi, has a remarkable story of achievement and boldness.

She started the Literacyworks program after finishing her GED. She then enrolled in ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. She worked extremely hard balancing part-time work, raising two children, and going to college. Her husband was briefly in the program but had to stop out because he had to work to support the family financially. Noemi progressed into college-level classes taking full advantage of the support and tutoring services at Santa Rosa Junior College. She attended all of the Center workshops and individual meetings, sharing openly about the challenges and rewards of being in school. Noemi spoke with pride about how she was modeling to her children the value of education. At our most recent one to one interview, she reported that she would be graduating from the SRJC with an Associate’s degree at the end of this fall semester and transferring to Sonoma State University in January 2020. She plans to become an elementary school teacher. Noemi has agreed to be a member of the Literacyworks Center’s Alumni Group.

“I am very thankful for this program. I feel that you really take care of us. Even though there are many students in the program, you take time to talk to us one on one and that support is invaluable. Thank you so much for everything!”
- Noemi

OUR LITERACYWORKS 2019 “TOP TEN LIST” STARTING WITH #10:


#10. Our Center participants: This 2019 Spring and Fall Semesters, 220 of our adult students received our Adult Literacy Awards to help them persist in school and progress on their educational goals. Needless to say, we are proud of all our students who have overcome huge barriers to be the first in their families to attend college and persist in their educational goals.

We have collected comments from our students about the Center. Here are a few:

  • “I feel very fortunate to be in Literacyworks because you have become part of my family.” 

  • “Being part of this program for several years has really helped me in so many ways. A huge thanks to everyone.  Chris and Rita are always checking up on us, asking how our classes are going and providing help in whichever way they can. Literacyworks always does a fantastic job providing workshops that give us information on services and resources that we benefit from.”

  • “Words would not be enough to say what you guys do. It’s just amazing what you do for all of us and I am glad that I have the chance to meet with really important people like you.“

  • “I feel like the program keeps me motivated to continue with my studies. I feel like they really care about us.”

  • “The Center is amazing. This program gives us the keys to open the door to opportunity and success. We have the opportunity to get a better education to improve our knowledge and achieve our goals. I am so lucky; thanks for all your support!”

  • “Literacyworks has helped me both emotionally and economically. The support regardless of age and the diversity are some things I particularly value. I have not found another support system like this in my educational years.”

  • “Literacyworks Center is a college student’s dream come true. This program provides so much support and resources that students need to be successful. The constant check-ins, financial help, and the resources they provide make it easier to be a student. They motivate you to keep going and make sure their students excel academically and motivate us to follow our dreams.”

#9. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey: Lynn continues to be our biggest supporter. She is our Literacyworks Center founder/partner and Honorary Board Chairperson.

#8. The Literacyworks Center: 2020 will be the Center’s 5th year of operation. Some of our Center’s accomplishments to date:
•      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 Fall 2019, our graduates have achieved 14 AA/AS associated degrees, 12 transfers (to 4-year universities UC Berkeley, UCLA, Sonoma State, Sac State and San Jose State), 59 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

#7. Literacyworks Lectures: Another great series of speakers in 2019. Thanks to our staff, students, volunteers and many sponsors who make this fundraising event inspiring. We are booking, with our partner Copperfield’s Books, our 2020 speakers as we speak. Stay tuned! 

  • CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER
    January 7, 2019 - Copperfield’s Books Petaluma

  • DAVE EGGERS & MOKHTAR ALKHANSHALI IN CONVERSATION 

    January 13, 2019 Petaluma Veterans Memorial Hall

  • CHERRIE MORAGA
    April 26, 2019 Copperfield's in Santa Rosa (Montgomery Village)

  • DAVID BROOKS
    May 2, 2019 Copperfield’s in Petaluma

  • ROGER MCNAMEE
    May 10, 2019 Copperfield’s Books Petaluma

  • JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS
    November 9, 2019 Copperfield’s Books Petaluma

#6. Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy program: Literacyworks Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy program works with low-literacy, low-income bilingual parents and children through a combination of access to resources in the home and the community and by training parents in the basic skills to encourage their children to become avid readers. The goal is to help our parents view their parenting role in a positive manner, have appropriate expectations of their children's achievements, prepare their children with the necessary skills to be successful in school, and establish and maintain positive relations with community resources, including libraries, schools, and community groups. The Sonoma and Marin library branches are interested in offering the program in 2020.

#5. Literacyworks Board: We sincerely appreciate the support and wisdom of our Literacyworks Board: Elizabeth Howland, President, William Soper, Treasurer, and Gloria Cruz McCallister. Plus thanks to our Honorary board members: Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Honorary Chairperson; Peter Coyote, actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator; and Greg Sarris, writer, academic, and Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

#4. Founding Friends of the Center, the Friends of the Literacyworks Center and Program Partners: Again in 2019, many people and organizations helped to make Literacyworks and the Center successful including Santa Rosa Junior College, Center Point, North Bay Children’s Center, West Marin Community Services (Pt. Reyes Station), the Friends of the Literacyworks Center and our Center donors, both individuals and organizations, including Codding Foundation, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Marin Community Foundation, Bank of Marin, Community Foundation Sonoma County, Dollar General, KRCB, The W Foundation, Sobel Communications, Fishman Supply, Bank of Marin, Westamerica Bank, Amy's Kitchen, Redwood Credit Union, Arrow Benefits Group, and Schwab Charitable Giving.

#3. SRJC: The Petaluma and Santa Rosa campus staff and administration have been very supportive of the Center with particular thanks to Dr. Frank Chong, President/Superintendent; Rachael Cutcher, Manager of Scholarship Programs; Cathy Prince, Dean of Instruction & Strategic Program Development; Beatriz Camargo, HEP Program Coordinator Enedina Vera, HEP recruiter; Dr. Jane Saldana-Talley, Vice President of Academic Affairs/Assistant Superintendent; Dr. Matthew Long, Dean of Student Services; Dr. Catherine Williams, Dean of Instruction and Enrollment Management; and Yesenia Rodarte-Hurtado, ELL Outreach Coordinator.

#2. Staff: Thanks to our talented Center staff: Chris Schultz and Rita Sorpranith.

#1. YOU: We are especially grateful for all the Literacyworks supporters, both anonymous and public, and that includes you!

Literacyworks is helping underprivileged and underrepresented adults secure better jobs, become better parents, and contribute more to their community. Thanks for all your support this year and next.

Paul Heavenridge
Executive Director

2019 YEAR-END CAMPAIGN

We’ve launched our 2019 Year-End Campaign. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to keep receiving the donor’s scholarship funding by matching it with funding for staff and operations. This will allow us to reach our goal of helping 110 motivated low-income low literacy adults get on our program each semester in 2020. We can’t do it without your help. Will you make a gift? To make your donation now, go to http://www.literacyworks.org/donate or contact Rita at rita@literacyworks.org to be mailed a remittance envelope.

DONATE

September 2019

LITERACYWORKS CHANGES LIVES

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WHY
We believe in supporting every individual who seeks to improve their position in life.

HOW
We serve low-literacy adults by providing encouragement, financial and educational support and by partnering with community groups to promote success.

WHAT
We serve adults by increasing their literacy and basic skills so they are able to secure better jobs, manage their personal lives, advocate for themselves, enhance their parenting skills, and contribute more to their community.

NEED
Proficient literacy skills are critical to an individuals’ prosperity & well-being. A literate population drives community vitality, health & economic growth.

Fall 2019 Funding Campaign

The Literacyworks Center has begun a campaign for $30,000 to enroll an additional ten students in our program for this Fall semester.

The Center is changing lives. 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. All are underserved. Their perseverance in reaching their educational goals encourages their children to excel in school and follow their example to attend college. One parent’s child said proudly to her friends: “My mom is going to college, and I’m going to go too.”

We are asking you to support a student or several starting this Fall semester. For a $3,000 gift, you will 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 creates meaningful change for our students, families, and their communities. It will help them acquire the basic skills to access career and technical education and living wage jobs. Any donation amount will help.

For donation options, go to the Literacyworks Donation page at http://www.literacyworks.org/donate 

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Nineteen Center students passed their GED

Many of the Center’s students did not complete high school when they were younger. There are a wide variety of reasons for this, but it is essential to many of these individuals to complete their high school degree. Doing this both demonstrates the value of education to their children and allows them to further their college education, providing them the skills to get a better job. So, for many, their first step with the Center program is taking GED (General Education Diploma) or High School Equivalency Certificate classes at Santa Rosa Junior College. The difficulty of the GED tests should not be underestimated. It is intended to be the equivalent of passing all the requirements of four years of high school. This summer, 19 of the Center’s students passed their GED, and a wonderful celebration was held for them. This is, in some sense, both the ending of one significant challenge and the beginning of a new opportunity.

New Center Alumni Program

The Center is initiating a new Alumni program this fall semester. All Center students started their education below college level in reading, writing, and math. Now, after four years of supporting students in their educational goals, we now have eleven graduates. This means these individuals have moved from basic skills classes and ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to fulfilling the requirements to receive an Associate’s Degree. 

The Alumni program has two primary purposes. The first is to stay in contact with our students as they continue their four-year university studies, and second to provide insights and inspiration for our current program participates. A number of students have formed close bonds with one another so that staying connected after graduation may be a way to share stories, challenges, and ideas. We envision at least one annual meeting held over semester break so folks going to universities out of the area may be able to attend. We will invite alumni to visit the frequently held workshops for our current students. We believe that having our alumni talk about their experiences at the university and discuss the challenges and rewards of furthering their education is important. It serves as an inspiration for Center participants who are often struggling with the competing demands of school, work, and family. Aaron S., one of our graduates, has agreed to take a lead role in getting the Alumni program off the ground. Aaron currently attends UC Berkeley.
- Chris Schultz, Director of the Center

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July 2019: Literacyworks in the News

Literacyworks: Who We Are

Literacyworks is an educational nonprofit organization created to increase accessibility and participation of underprivileged and underrepresented adults, families and children to increase literacy, technology, and basic skills. Our goal is to collaboratively and comprehensively address the literacy needs of families across a spectrum of basic needs essential to the quality of life: family literacy, health literacy, financial literacy, and workplace literacy. To address one literacy need outside the context of the others leaves families only partially served.

Health Literacy

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We received our grant from the Petaluma Health Care District this month. This funding will provide a series of Health Literacy workshops exclusively to our Center students.

Literacyworks has a long history with health literacy initiatives. We conducted a pilot study in 2003 with California Literacy called California Health Literacy Initiative, "Low Literacy, High Risk: The Hidden Challenge Facing Healthcare in California". The survey found that:

•      65 percent of California adults with limited literacy skills avoided going to the doctor because of difficulties completing the paperwork.
•      75 percent of physicians who were surveyed knew of medical errors caused by patients’ limited literacy skills.
•      94 percent of physicians believe that low literate adults experience a lower quality of care.
•      46% of adults cannot read and follow medical instructions (Neilsen-Bohlman, 2004)
•     26% of the patients could not read their appointment slips, and
•     42% did not understand the labels on their prescription bottles.

The poor and illiterate are certainly profoundly impacted by low health literacy and as a result, have a higher percentage of health conditions which limit their lives. This includes the ability to understand instructions on prescriptions, appointment slips, brochures, consent forms, and the ability to navigate complicated health care systems. Health literacy is not merely the ability to read, but the ability to apply a complex group of reading, listening, analytical and decision-making skills to health situations. Health literacy, therefore, is not necessarily related to years of education or general reading ability. Further studies have shown that people of all ages, races, incomes, and educations levels are challenged by low health literacy.

Our Center’s Health Literacy program objectives for the PHCD grant in 2019-2020 are:
• Produce workshop curriculum to focus on the specific health needs of students and community health resources to support those needs.
• Work with small groups developing activities & forums that develop health literate social communities providing health literacy information to their families and communities.
• By June 2020, conduct 4 health literacy workshops
• Create 4 peer groups that can disseminate local health resource information to their peers, family and community.
• Establish working relationship with community health services.

To learn more about our California Health Literacy Initiative, go to http://www.literacyworks.org/healthliteracy

CENTER STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

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We are pleased to feature one of our outstanding students in this month’s newsletter. Diana has been with the Center for three and a half years. She started in ESL classes working hard to develop her English communication skills. She has since progressed into credit courses, now taking math and science classes to fulfill the prerequisites for the nursing program. Her enthusiasm and positive attitude are always evident in our workshops and Diana always brings her two young daughters with her. Literacyworks was invited to compete at a fundraising event called ‘Sonoma – One Hundred People Who Care.’ As Center staff discussed how to design our presentation, Diana’s name came up as a co-presenter because she reflects the values and determination of so many of the great students we are privileged to work with. She agreed to speak, so in front of over one hundred people, she told her story. This is a portion of her speech:

“In order to be successful in life you need the support of a community.  Hello, my name is Diana.  I am 28 years old and a mom to two beautiful girls, Esmeralda and Lucero. I am the first in my family to attend college, and it has not been easy, but who said it would be?  When I arrived in the US, I had a difficult experience of wanting to buy an ice cream on a hot day in June, but I could not do it because I did not speak English. That day I promised myself that one day I would speak the language and be productive in my community.  My goal is to become a pediatric nurse, but I could not do it without the help of amazing organizations like Literacyworks that have become part of my family and have been my support throughout my journey.  During this time, I have embraced you as part of my family, and I am thankful for this support and friendship. I would not be able to accomplish my goal, help my daughters and help others in the community without Literacyworks. Thank you so much.”

As you know, Literacyworks won the competition for the $10,000 which goes to support the Center. By the way, Diana just got an internship with the Petaluma Health Center strengthening her future application to nursing school.

June 2019: Literacyworks in the News

A not so Typical 48 Hours in the Life of Literacyworks

Wednesday Night May 22, 2019, at 6 PM

100 Sonoma People Who Care

The Board of the Sonoma County nonprofit 100 Sonoma People Who Care selected Literacyworks as one of this year's nominees for their 2019 Nonprofit Fundraising Event. Thank you Sheila Bride of Petaluma Coffee and Tea for nominating us! 100 Sonoma is a funding circle 501(c)(3) organized to bring together community members to learn about and select one Sonoma County nonprofit annually to receive a significant financial gift.

As one of their five nominees*, Literacyworks was invited to give a 4-minute presentation on May 22, 2019, at Glenn Ranch in Petaluma on the Literacyworks Center. The only rules were that each speaker must only use their voice. No slideshows/videos/ props or anything else was permitted. Our Literacyworks Center Director, Chris Schultz, and our Center student, Diana Angel, a mother of two little girls, passionately spoke for two minutes each explaining how the Center is changing lives and making a difference in our community.

After the presentations, the guests voted for the winning nonprofit who would walk away with that night's contributions, in this case, $10,000. Who got the most votes you may ask? Drum roll…. Literacyworks did. Yeah for Chris and Diana!

*Hospice of Petaluma, Heritage Homes, The Tiny Pitbull, Point Blue Conservation Science were the other nonprofits

Thursday Morning May 22, 2019, at 7:30 AM

The Petaluma Health Care District approves Literacyworks Grant Funding request for $10,000.

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All grant recipients of this years grant award were acknowledged at the Community Partnership Appreciation Breakfast on Thursday, May 23rd from 7:30 – 9:00 AM at the Petaluma Women’s Club.

Literacyworks was thanked for the incredible work we do to support the health and well-being of our community. Ramona Faith, CEO of the Petaluma Health Care District and staff, expressed how grateful they were to partner and support us in this effort.

The Sonoma County Community Health Needs Assessment confirms that literacy level, income, and educational attainment is strongly correlated to health: those with low levels of literacy, low income, and education suffer poor health outcomes. Those with a higher level of literacy and education are prone to live longer due to healthier behaviors and tend to raise healthier children. Residents in Sonoma County who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Some Other Race have a higher percentage of individuals at risk in experiencing poor health results.

The health needs our proposal is addressing concerns the health literacy, education, and access to health resources for our students and their families. We will conduct a series of workshops that bring in community providers to discuss health resources and health literacy.

Thursday Evening May 22nd, 2019, at 6:00 PM

The No Name Group

Paul Heavenridge, Executive Director of Literacyworks, spoke to about 200 of what is affectionately referred to as The No Name Group in Santa Rosa about the Literacyworks Center. Susan Moore heads the long-standing group that gathers monthly to hear and discuss topics ranging from education to politics to social justice. The reviews of the talk were all positive, and many new contacts were made.

Literacyworks Center Graduations 2019

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We at Literacyworks Center view a student’s academic goal as a matter of personal choice. Their progress toward that goal, thanks to our staff support, is steady and at their own rate. We encourage each student to explore career options and further inform themselves of educational opportunities. We consider an individual successful, as one of our students has done, by taking classes to improve their English, then taking an accounting class and then open their own catering business. More traditional measures of success like graduating and transferring to a four-year university are not for all of our students. Many get Certificates in career programs such as Early Childhood Education, Firefighter or Environmental Horticulture.

This Spring 2019, we are overjoyed to announce eight of our students walked across the stage and received an Associate’s Degree. Six of these graduates will transfer to various universities in the fall including UCLA, UC Berkeley, Sac State, and Sonoma State. What is remarkable about this is all of these individuals started their education by taking classes well below college level. Literacyworks staff is tremendously proud of these students’ hard work, commitment, and success. We will miss working with them, but will maintain contact to follow their continued success in the future.

May 2019: Literacyworks in the News

LITERACYWORKS CENTER STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

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We are proud that another of our students is moving on to a four-year-college. Lorenzo graduated in January. He recently came to a Literacyworks Center student workshop to show off his new Sonoma State ID card. He is entering SSU as a math major.

“I am really happy with the program, very grateful for what the program has done for me for the last three years. I really like that the program focuses on people that want to continue on with their education and that Literacyworks makes it very easy to get in the program. One suggestion I would say is that the program should be extended to the university. Thanks, Literacyworks.”

Literacyworks Nominated for 100 Sonoma People Who Care Event

At 100 Sonoma People Who Care events, community members donate $100 to spend an evening learning about FIVE local non-profits and selecting one to receive a financial gift of $10K +. 100 Sonoma is particularly interested in raising awareness of smaller non-profits and community service programs whose important work is in need of funding.

Literacyworks is one of the five nominees.

For more information and registration for the MAY 22 EVENT, go to: http://www.100sonoma.org/upcoming-events-1

What: Fourth Annual 100 Sonoma - Petaluma event
When: Wednesday, May 22, 2019, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Glenn Ranch Petaluma

Literacyworks Center Update: Chris Schultz

During a recent one-to-one interview, a long time member of the program was sharing her deep frustration in not being able to pass the math test on the GED (high school equivalency). This is the last test before she completes the GED and can move on with her education. She talked about how hard it has been to learn math, but how determined she is to succeed. She is a hard working mother of five who wants to show her children how important education is. We ended the session with suggestions and best wishes on the test which was scheduled for the following Friday. I was at a gathering in the evening on Friday and received a text, which I didn’t read until later that night. It read: “Hi, good evening. I wanted to share the great news with you. I passed my math test for my GED. I am beyond proud of myself, and my kids are too.”

A young man, new to the program and new to college, has been attending the fire academy at Santa Rosa Junior College. He is the single father of a four-year-old son. He attends classes every weekday for six hours and then drives to another town and works in a restaurant until 1:30 AM in the morning. I recently called him to invite him to a workshop we were offering. With a soft, but confident voice, he informed me that he completed the fire training and would be graduating in a few days. He added that he is committed to continuing and will get an EMT certification in the fall.

UPCOMING LITERACYWORKS LECTURES

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ROGER MCNAMEE

May 10, 2019, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Copperfield’s Books Petaluma Store 140 Kentucky Street Petaluma
McNamee’s book Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe is The New York Times bestseller about a noted tech venture capitalist, early mentor to Mark Zuckerberg, and Facebook investor, who wakes up to the serious damage Facebook is doing to our society - and sets out to try to stop it. 

He has been a Silicon Valley investor for 35 years. His most recent fund, Elevation, included U2’s Bono as a co-founder. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Roger plays bass and guitar in the bands Moonalice and Doobie Decibel System. He has served as a technical advisor for seasons two through five of HBO’s “Silicon Valley” series and was also responsible for raising the money that created the Wikimedia Foundation.

PRIME LITERACYWORKS LECTURES SPONSOR

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March 2019: Literacyworks in the News

Literacyworks Center Student Spotlight

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Aaron attended an alternative high school for underachieving students. School was not his primary focus; instead, his friends and social life were his priority. He eventually applied to Santa Rosa JC without much enthusiasm or confidence. It soon became clear that this was his life and he had to decide what he was going to do with it. So Aaron took advantage of the support services at the JC and was referred to Literacyworks Center. He became one of our stellar students; his confidence and determination are growing as his natural leadership skills emerged not only in the Literacyworks program, but also in other programs on the Petaluma campus. He worked extremely hard both in his schoolwork and his on-campus job. Aaron told a group of participants at a workshop, “that it’s great to know Literacyworks has my back.” At another meeting, he talked of getting a law degree so he could have a positive impact on the lives of others.

Aaron graduated in Spring semester 2018 with an AA in Sociology. He reported he had been accepted to UC Berkeley with a full scholarship and started this Spring semester as a Junior. He is the first in his family to attend college, but he said he would not be the last. 

Aaron’s commitment now is to serving other young people so they could avoid the difficulties he experienced in high school.  After completing his education, he plans to create a program that supports youth and help them stay out of gangs.  The Literacyworks staff asked Aaron to take the lead in establishing a Literacyworks Center alumni organization that will honor our student’s accomplishments, inspire them to follow their dreams, and create the future they want for themselves. He has agreed to make time and to give back to the Center.

Literacyworks Center Update

The Center staff has conducted two well-attended workshops since the turn of the 2019 year. We addressed issues of study skills, decision-making, time management, and collaborative learning. We presented the idea of having an online resource page and directory of Literacyworks students so they could arrange meeting in small groups. The students liked the idea. One student asked for tutoring in math, and another student agreed to help. One student that graduated in January came to the workshop to show off his new Sonoma State ID card. He wants to become a teacher. Another student that had to stop out for the fall semester brought her beautiful new baby son to the workshop. The staff is currently gearing up to start the one to one interviews with all one hundred and ten students. This process of individually interviewing each student has proven to be an invaluable and informative part of enhancing the program’s success.

Upcoming Literacyworks Lectures

CHERRIE MORAGA
Friday, April 26, 2019 Copperfield's in Santa Rosa (Montgomery Village) 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa

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Cherríe L. Moraga is a writer and an activist. A cofounder of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, Moraga co-edited the highly influential volume This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color in 1981. A former Artist-in-Residence at Stanford, Moraga was recently appointed a professor in the Department of English at UC-Santa Barbara, where, with her artistic partner Celia Herrera Rodriguez, she will institute Las Maestras Center for Chicana and Indigenous Thought and Art Practice. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Playwriting Fellowship Award and a Rockefeller Fellowship for Literature.

FREE TICKETS AT: https://www.copperfieldsbooks.com/event/literacyworks-copperfields-books-present-cherrie-moraga

DAVID BROOKS
Thursday, May 2, 2019 Thursday, May 2, 2019 - 8:00am; Petaluma Store 140 Kentucky Street Petaluma

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David Brooks became an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times in September 2003. His column appears every Tuesday and Friday. He is currently a commentator on “PBS NewsHour,” NPR’s “All Things Considered” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He is the author of “Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There” and “On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense.” In March 2011 he came out with his third book, “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement,” which was a No. 1 New York Times best seller. Mr. Brooks also teaches at Yale University, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

PURCHASE TICKETS: https://www.copperfieldsbooks.com/event/breakfast-david-brooks

Literacyworks Lectures Sponsors

December 2018: Literacyworks in the News 2018 Wrap

LITERACYWORKS 2018 WRAP 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE LITERACYWORKS STAFF!

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We, the Literacyworks staff, are very grateful for many things this year. As our tradition, we offer Literacyworks “Top Ten List” (in no particular order) of all the great things that happened in 2018 and a few more for which we're grateful. 

But first, a reminder! Our last 2018 Literacyworks Lecture is coming up this month.

2018 LITERACYWORKS AND COPPERFIELD’S BOOKS LECTURE SERIES

CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE IN CONVERSATION WITH CONGRESSWOMAN LYNN WOOLSEY

Sunday, December 16, 2018
Carole L. Ellis Auditorium (SRJC Petaluma)
680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma, CA 94952
2:45-4:00 PM
Purchase Tickets
Congresswoman Barbara Lee was born in El Paso, TX. As a single mother raising two sons, she attended Mills College and received public assistance while building a better life for her family. Congresswoman Lee received her Masters of Social Work from the University of California, Berkeley. As a small business owner in the East Bay, Congresswoman Lee worked with people from all walks of life. In 1998, she was elected to serve California’s 9th (now the 13th) congressional district in a special election. She has long advocated for legislative action to end poverty. Her autobiography is Renegade for Peace and Justice: A Memoir of Political and Personal Courage. 

Congresswoman Lynn C. Woolsey is a former U.S. Representative for California's 6th congressional district serving Marin and Sonoma County from 1993 to 2013. Lynn focused on issues facing children, families, and education during her 20-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives.

General Admission: $30
Buy tickets for Congresswoman Barbara Lee in Conversation with Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

OK, now for our Literacyworks “Top Ten List” starting with #10:


#10. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey: Lynn continues to be our biggest supporter. She is our Literacyworks Center founder/partner and Honorary Board Chairperson.

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#9. Our Center participants: This 2017 Spring and Fall Semesters, 192 of our adult students received our Adult Literacy Awards to help them persist in school and progress on their educational goals. Thanks to an increase in our Adult Literacy Award funding, we are expecting to enroll up to 110 students for Spring Semester 2019. Also, high-fives to our volunteer tutors who will start helping our students succeed with one-to-one tutoring. 

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We have collected comments from our students about the Center. Here are a few:

“The Center is amazing. This program gives us the keys to open the door to opportunity and success. We have the opportunity to get a better education to improve our knowledge and achieve our goals. I am so lucky; thanks for all your support!”

“Literacyworks has helped me both emotionally and economically. The support regardless of age and the diversity are some things I particularly value. I have not found another support system like this in my educational years.”

“Literacyworks Center is a college student’s dream come true. This program provides so much support and resources that students need to be successful. The constant check-ins, financial help, and the resources they provide make it easier to be a student. They motivate you to keep going and make sure their students excel academically and motivate us to follow our dreams.”

“I really like this program because having the one-on-one meetings makes me feel like there’s people who care about us and our success. Without the Center, I don’t think that I would be as successful in my classes and the financial help is also helpful.”

#8. The Literacyworks Center: In 2018, the Center increased to 192 students (from 182 students in 2017). We handed out the Adult Literacy Award (thank you anonymous family foundation) to all our students. Again this year, the Center had less than 10% student dropout rate compared to a historically 60% dropout rate for this at-risk population at community colleges. This is in spite of the fact that all our students were affected by the Santa Rosa fires. We were able to secure a Redwood Credit Union North Bay Fire Relief Fund grant that assisted our students with resources such as housing relief, child care, transportation, and counseling. We also conducted one-on-one interviews with students to find out what their academic and fire relief needs were. The Center is proving that we can make a difference in keeping low income, highly motivated adults stay in school and become career and college ready.

#7. Literacyworks Lectures: Another great series of speakers this year.  Literacyworks Lectures began its collaboration with Copperfield's Books to bring prestigious authors to Petaluma.

The lineup was: Steven Pinker Harvard University experimental psychologist; Leland Faust founder of CSI Capital Management representing over one hundred NFL, NBA and MLB all-stars; Robert Reich, American political commentator, professor, author and former Secretary of Labor, in Conversation with Congresswoman Lynn C. Woolsey; Greg Sarris, author, screenwriter, producer, scholar, professor and Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria; Daniel Ellsberg, American activist and former United States military analyst, in Conversation with Peter Coyote; Chilean author Isabel Allende in conversation with Michael Krasny; and Congresswoman Barbara Lee in Conversation with Congresswoman Lynn C. Woolsey.

As the Argus-Courier wrote: "Petaluma’s Literacyworks Lecture Series is upping its star-power this year, with the 2018 version of the non-profit’s popular speakers’ showcase now featuring some of the brightest and best thinkers, writers, politicians and philosophers in America."

Thanks to our staff, students, volunteers and many sponsors who make this fundraising event inspiring. 

#6. Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy program: Literacyworks has been an early adopter in believing that children’s first teachers are their parents. We work with educational and literacy programs, including family literacy programs that serve children under 5, in libraries and community-based organizations, throughout California and the nation.

Literacyworks Parents as First Teachers: Engaging Families to Increase Children's Literacy program works with low-literacy, low-income bilingual parents and children through a combination of access to resources in the home and the community and by training parents in the basic skills to encourage their children to become avid readers. The goal is to help our parents view their parenting role in a positive manner, have appropriate expectations of their children's achievements, prepare their children with the necessary skills to be successful in school, and establish and maintain positive relations with community resources, including libraries, schools, and community groups. The Sonoma and Marin library branches are interested in offering the program in 2019.

#5. Literacyworks Board: We sincerely appreciate the support and wisdom of our Literacyworks Board: Elizabeth Howland, President, Eric Backman, Secretary, William Soper, Treasurer, Robin Klaus, and Gloria Cruz McCallister.

#4. Founding Friends of the Center, the Friends of the Literacyworks Center and Program Partners: Again in 2018, many people and organizations helped to make Literacyworks and the Center successful including Santa Rosa Junior College, Center Point, North Bay Children’s Center, West Marin Community Services (Pt. Reyes Station), the Friends of the Literacyworks Center and our Center donors, both individuals and organizations, including Codding Foundation, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Marin Community Foundation, Bank of Marin, Community Foundation Sonoma County, Dollar General, KRCB, The W Foundation, Sobel Communications, Fishman Supply, Bank of Marin, Westamerica Bank, Amy's Kitchen, Redwood Credit Union and Schwab Charitable Giving.

#3. SRJC: The Petaluma Campus staff and administration have been very supportive of the Center with particular thanks to Dr. Jane Saldana-Talley, Vice President, Petaluma Campus, whose assistance was and is invaluable, Dr. Matthew Long, Dean of Student Services, Dr. Catherine Williams, Dean of Instruction and Enrollment Management, and Yesenia Rodarte-Hurtado, ELL Outreach Coordinator. The SRJC Santa Rosa campus staff has been great to work with also. Thanks to Dr. Frank Chong, President/Superintendent, Rachael Cutcher, Manager of Scholarship Programs, Cathy Prince, Dean of Instruction & Strategic Program Development and the Hispanic Serving Institution programs, and Enedina Vera, HEP recruiter.

#2. Staff: Thanks to our talented Center staff: Chris Schultz and Rita Sorpranith and Literacyworks Development Director, Elizabeth Howland.

#1. YOU: We are especially grateful for all the Literacyworks supporters, both anonymous and public, and that includes you!

Literacyworks is helping underprivileged and underrepresented adults secure better jobs, become better parents, and contribute more to their community. Thanks for all your support this year and next.

Paul Heavenridge Executive Director

Paul Heavenridge
Executive Director

 

2018 Year-End Campaign

We’ve launched our 2018 Year-End Campaign. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to keep receiving the donor’s scholarship funding by matching it with funding for staff and operations. This will allow us to reach our goal of helping 110 motivated low-income low literacy adults get on our program each semester in 2019. We can’t do it without your help. Will you make a gift? To make your donation now, go to http://www.literacyworks.org/donate or contact Rita at rita@literacyworks.org to be mailed a remittance envelope.

June 2018: Literacyworks in the News

STRAIGHT UP!
A CHARBAY COCKTAIL COMPETITION & BENEFIT FOR LITERACYWORKS

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When: Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Where: Bear Republic Brewery - Lakeside 5000 Roberts Lake Road, Rohnert Park

COMPETITION STARTS at 6 PM  ~  8:30 PM

  • Judge’s Panel & People’s Choice Voting

Bartenders from the following establishments will be creating cocktails with Charbay Blood Orange Vodka, come try all their libations and vote for your favorite!

  • Bear Republic - Lakeside, Rohnert Park
  • Beer Baron, Santa Rosa
  • Crush Italian Steakhouse, Ukiah
  • The Golden Pig, Hopland
  • Gun Club Bar, Geyserville
  • Jackson’s Bar & Oven, Santa Rosa
  • John Ash & Co., Santa Rosa
  • Mario & John’s, Petaluma
  • Perch + Plow, Santa Rosa
  • The Tavern on 4th, San Rafael
  • Ukiah Brewing Company, Ukiah

Thank you to our Judge’s Panel for ‘Straight Up’ 2018!

Scott Beattie
Author of ‘Artisanal Cocktails’
Meadowood Napa Valley

Erika Frey
Private Real Estate Consultant & Cocktail Aficionado
Healdsburg

Brian Griffith
Music Director
KRCB Radio 91, FM
Windsor

Pre-sale tickets $35 per person  Get your tickets here!
($40 at the door / 21 and over only)
Ticket price includes tasting all competitors’ cocktail creations & delicious appetizers

Raffle & Ticket Proceeds to fund Literacyworks Programs in the North Bay

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DANIEL ELLSBERG IN CONVERSATION WITH PETER COYOTE

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Sunday June 10, 2018, 4:00-5:30PM
Petaluma Veterans Memorial Hall, 1094 Petaluma Blvd South, Petaluma

Daniel Ellsberg is an American activist and former United States military analyst who, while employed by the RAND Corporation, precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of U.S. government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War, to The New York Times and other newspapers. His new book, “The Doomsday Machine,” is an eyewitness expose of the dangers of America’s top secret, seventy-year-long nuclear policy that continues to this day. Peter Coyote is an accomplished actor, author, director, screenwriter and Emmy award narrator.

Purchase tickets here: https://www.copperfieldsbooks.com/event/ellsberg-coyote

Go to http://www.literacyworks.org/events for the latest speaker list.

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The Center has just completed a successful spring semester working with our Santa Rosa Junior College students.  Staff initiated a new program of interviewing each of our ninety students in an effort to better understand the challenges facing them and develop a clearer view of their goals and aspirations.  The themes running through these sessions included a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to continue their education and appreciation for the Center’s support and the fine faculty at the SRJC.  When asked what advice they would give someone just starting college, this diverse group of folks uniformly said versions of ‘Never give up.  Work hard.  Hang in there, it’s worth it.’  We discovered that the October fires impacted our students much more profoundly than we knew.  Students lost their jobs losing weeks of income.  Some dropped out to support their extended families.  One student that is pursuing a certificate in Early Childhood Education lost her apartment, her car and all her family’s possessions.  She is now in a new home and continuing her education. 

This spring, two of our students that started with the Center’s program in Basic Skills classes successfully graduated. One of our students transferred to Sonoma State University.   Another student who struggled in high school, was the first in his family to go to college, and lacked confidence in his ability to succeed in college. He participated in Literacyworks for the three years he attended the SRJC.  This spring he graduated and was accepted to UC Berkeley with a full scholarship. 

Santa Rosa Junior College staff and faculty and their excellent educational programs and extensive support services, deserves tremendous credit for changing lives and creating opportunities.  We at Literacyworks Center appreciate the open and supportive relationship we share with SRJC in our mutual efforts to support individuals in creating their futures.