Fall is a very busy time for the Van Buren County Literacy Council. New adult students are starting the fall semester, and are excited about improving their reading skills with a private tutor. Many people don’t know that the Literacy Council is not the same as Adult Education and GED classes. The Literacy Council is a separate, non-profit organization. The Council helps adults who don’t read well or may not be able to read at all, who need help with work manuals or applications, or need to read better to get a better job. Some students need help with basic math, and find that the step-by-step basic math course is fun and easy, even if they have a “math phobia.” Some might want to brush up on their skills to get ready to enter the GED program at a later time. The students love the fact that they can progress at their own pace, have no pressure, and not be embarrassed about mistakes in front of a large class. The Literacy Council has students from 16 to 60+!
What’s great is that everything—books, workbooks, lessons—are all free thanks to the support of local people supporting the Music Festival fundraiser and some local and state grants. The Literacy Council has a large classroom in the old hospital building and also locations near Clinton School and in Fairfield Bay. They want to make it easy and convenient for adults to spend an hour or two a week enjoying their lessons with their volunteer tutor.
The Head Start students in the county are very excited because every two weeks a volunteer from the Literacy Council comes to their classrooms, reads a story, and gives out a free book for each student to take home. At the end of the year they have a nice collection of books in their homes to read and reread with their parents. The Council also gives a book to every child who is registered with the Angel Tree program at Christmas time.
Wouldn’t it be great to volunteer with an organization that is helping raise the literacy and math levels of the county for both adults and young children? How could you help?? You could come to the next tutor training session to become a tutor, OR you could volunteer to read to the young children, OR you could help distribute the Angel Tree books, OR you could help in the office, OR you could help with fundraisers……What would you like to do? Please call 253-1873 to let the Literacy Council know how you want to help.
Fairfield Bay News
