.........Serving Dutchess, Columbia
& Greene Counties |
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News
April 13th at Literacy Connections "Open
House", between 2 - 7PM, 325 Main Street, Poughkeepsie NY
For more information, please call 845-452-8670
1,000,000 for Literacy" on Facebook.
No child chooses low literacy, yet many are saddled with its disadvantages before they even enter kindergarten. Often raised by parents with limited literacy, these children slip through the cracks of our school system and join the millions whose lack of literacy excludes them from the most basic opportunities we take for granted. For example, people reading below an 8th grade level are barred from vocational programs under the stimulus act and may never be able to get the training they need.
Click below to play video
We support the right to literacy because we believe that no one should be denied the fundamental skills necessary for success in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. By joining our Facebook group, you can add your voice to our message for the president: Literacy is vital for individual success and national success, and as such it deserves to be a high priority on the presidents agenda.
Copyright Literacy Powerline, 2009
Video Narrated by Craig Jorczak, Edited by Chris Johnson
13 Different nations represented
at Hudson ESOL classes
It looks like the United Nations on Wednesday nights at the Hudson Library
where Project Forward-Columbia, a program in partnership between LC and the
Hudson Library, teaches English to small groups of 8 to 12 adult students,
providing childcare for some parents and transportation for other students
who have no way to get to class. The program is made possible through a 2
year grant given by the Dyson Foundation and with a grant from the Workplace
Development Institute.
First started in Poughkeepsie ten years ago, with more sites added in Millbrook and Dover Plains, Project Forward-Dutchess serves up to 100 students a week through the efforts of 10 to13 tutors. Since its inception on March 12th, Project Forward-Columbia, has already seen 42 students come through the door from 13 varying nations, including: Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Ukraine, Pakistan, China, El Salvador, Haiti, Malaysia and Mexico.
Many of our students from other lands work in local factories and on fruit farms throughout the county. Advertising continues in the newspapers and through flyers circulated in 5 different languages: Bangla, Urdu, Spanish, Chinese and English.
Four dedicated teachers teach two-hour evening and morning classes every week. PF-Columbia is serving an average of 30 adults over the two days. Most students are beginners with a new, intermediate group forming, while an advanced ESL group works more on reading, writing and computer skills. Our computer lab serves 4 students as a resource for the internet, word documents, reading, typing and language-learning programs and is often the first foray into the world of computers for most of the students. As one of our advanced students, Li from Brazil says, “I’m improving my professional and personal experience.”
Kathleen Popow, the coordinator of Project Forward, assesses the students with a vehicle called “Best-Plus” and then assigns them to the appropriate level of group. Kathleen has decorated the classroom with welcome signs written in many languages, assisted by some of the students themselves. There are many smiling faces and language games to play as well as practical English to be learned.
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