Literacyworks 2017 Wrap
Happy Holidays from the Literacyworks Staff!
Literacyworks had a fabulous year. As our tradition, we offer our own Literacyworks “Top Ten List” (in no particular order) of all the great things that happened in 2017 and a few more for which we're grateful. Starting with #10:
#10. Literacyworks Board: We sincerely appreciate the support and wisdom of our Literacyworks Board: Elizabeth Howland, President, Eric Backman, Secretary, William Soper, Treasurer, Jeff Asher, and Gloria Cruz McCallister.
#9. The Literacyworks Center: The Center had a total of 182 students participate in the program in 2017. We handed out the Adult Literacy Award (thank you anonymous family foundation) to all our students, administered through Santa Rosa Junior College's Scholarship Programs office. To date, the Center has a less than 10% student dropout rate compared to a historically 60% dropout rate for this at-risk population at community colleges. This demonstration project is proving that we can make a difference in keeping low income, highly motivated adults stay in school and become career and college ready.
#8. Literacyworks Lectures: We've a great series of speakers for our series starting off the year with Brian Fishman - counterterrorism expert, author and lecturer - on June 11, 2017. We then had Michael Krasny - author, professor and host of KQED Forum - August 20, 2017. Finally, Ambassador Ted Eliot Jr. (ret.) was in conversation with Dr. Donna Brasset-Shearer, a cultural anthropologist with a background in international relations, discussing US foreign policy in Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea and the Trump Administration on December 3, 2017. Ambassador Eliot is a retired Foreign Service officer who served in the American embassy in Iran and headed the Iran Desk in the Department of State 1963-69, and was Executive Secretary of the Department 1969-73, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan 1973-78 and Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University 1978-85.
Starting in 2018, Literacyworks Lectures will be evolving into the Literacyworks and Copperfield's Books Presents lecture series, a collaboration with Copperfield's Books to bring prestigious authors to Sonoma starting in March with Steven Pinker, an experimental cognitive psychologist and a popular writer on language, mind, and human nature. Our second lecture is with Isabel Allende in conversation with Michael Krasny in May. Big thanks to our staff, students, volunteers and many sponsors who make this fundraising event inspiring and profitable.
#7. Literacyworks Professional Development: We are providing professional development opportunities to ABE and ESL professionals with access to over 130 researched-based ABE and ESL PD workshops and with over 40 National Subject Matter Expert trainers in adult education and literacy topics. This year we had contracts with Arizona, New Mexico and California.
#6. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey: Lynn is our Literacyworks Center founder/partner and Honorary Board Chairperson. She continues to be our biggest supporter.
#5. Founding Friends of the Center, the Friends of the Literacyworks Center and Program Partners: Again in 2017, many people and organizations helped to make Literacyworks and the Center successful including the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Santa Rosa Junior College, Center Point, North Bay Children’s Center, West Marin Community Services (Pt. Reyes Station), and our Center donors, both individuals and organizations, including Codding Foundation, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Marin Community Foundation, Clover Sonoma, Bank of Marin, Community Foundation Sonoma County, Dollar General, AT&T, PG&E, Xandex, KRCB, Jackson Family Wines, The W Foundation, Sobel Communications, Fishman Supply, Bank of Marin, WestAmerica Bank, Amy's Kitchen and Schwab Charitable Giving.
#4. SRJC: The Petaluma Campus staff and administration have been very supportive of the Center with particular thanks to Jane Saldana-Talley, Vice President, Petaluma Campus, whose assistance was and is invaluable, Matthew Long, Dean of Student Services, 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 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.
#3. Our Center participants: This 2017 Spring and Fall Semesters, 182 of our adult students received our Adult Literacy Awards to assist them in school and have enrolled to date. Many more are scheduled to sign-on in the Spring Semester 2018. Also, high-fives to our volunteer tutors who will start helping our students succeed with one-to-one tutoring in 2017.
#2. Staff: Thanks to our talented Center staff: Chris Schultz and Rita Sorpranith and Literacyworks Development Director, Elizabeth Howland.
#1. YOU: We are mostly grateful for all the Literacyworks supporters, both anonymous and public, and particularly 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
http://literacyworks.org
http://literacyworkscenter.org
http://www.literacyworkspd.org
P.S. Today, we launched our 2017 Year-End Campaign. Our goal is to raise $25,000 in order 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 to help 200 motivated low-income low literacy adults get on our program in 2018. 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.
