Tuition Increase Drops Enrollment

Beginning July 2011, adults have to pay $90 for a year’s tuition if considered instate in Florida. Out of state tuition costs $240 for a year. In Jacksonville Inmates now have to pay out of state tuition to take adult education classes funded by the school system. The state does not recognize inmates as state residents there. This tuition has increased the demand for the library program while school systems across the state are seeing a 30% to 70% drop depending on the county reported Greg Smith, Executive Director of the Florida Literacy Coalition.

Services to Inmates

Sandy Newell monitored the Expanding Horizons Adult Literacy Project, 12-LSTA-B-03 and observed a grant paid staff member teach inmates at the local jail skills to prepare them to take the GED. The library provides the only free instruction at the jail. Getting the GED improves their chances of getting a job when they leave prison

Center for Adult Learning: Expanding Horizons Adult Literacy Project

This is the 4^th year for Jacksonville Public Library's project "Expanding Horizons Adult Literacy Project" which is implemented by the Center for Adult Literacy (CAL) by Sharon Jaskula (in photo on the right), longtime manager of CAL. Last year this project served 964 adults, a 7% increase over the previous year. This project provides solutions to a local literacy crisis and continues to increase learning opportunities for adults with limited reading and functioning skills.  During FY 2012-2013, the Center for Adult Learning is continuing to provide Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language instruction. They are projecting to serve a minimum of 1,000 adult learners.  The Center is continuing to reach out to a growing refugee population and provide health, financial, and family-oriented seminars/activities to enhance literacy and English language instruction to the community. The staff is also providing literacy services to two county jails in the area.

Library of the Future--Maker Spaces

Some libraries are providing more customer friendly services which are accessible to low level readers.  The following summarizes a new trend --where libraries are moving from knowledge preserving to knowledge creation. These places are meant to be fun--even for adults, and since they foster making things--many adult learners may find the library a friendlier place for them to learn. Maker Spaces can also be centers for family literacy activities providing opportunities for Parent and Child Together Time.

The public library in Orlando is putting together a maker space. If your library is doing this, let us know. Or, you may want to talk with library staff to express your interest in partnering with the library as a volunteer literacy program. These spaces are very dependent on partnerships and volunteers.

 

Library of the Future

THE MAKINGS OF MAKER SPACES. By: Britton, Lauren, Library Journal, 03630277, 10/1/2012, Vol. 137, Issue 16

A Maker space refers to people coming together to create and share resources, knowledge, and "stuff."  It fosters a creation culture. The equipment and programming required is based on the purpose of the makerspace. The ideal maker space is meant to be fun!

"The biggest impediment to personal fabrication is not technical; it's already possible to effectively do it," Gershenfeld writes. "And it's not training; the just-in-time peer-to-peer model works as well in the field as at MIT. Rather, the biggest limitation is simply the lack of knowledge that this is even possible."

Bleiweis says that, in true Maker fashion, the library doesn't know where it's going next with its Maker space. They are allowing the space to evolve naturally.  Bleiweis says the library is there to provide the framework, not to be in charge. She says there is a shift from a librarian being the person who had all of the answers to the person who has questions and the ability to find the answers.

Susan Hildreth, director of IMLS. "We need to leverage what we know about learning and our trusted role as learning places to help prepare our visitors for success in today's digital world. Maker culture is one way for libraries to support innovation and creativity, using library space in ways that people both want and need. The IMLS stands ready to support libraries in this way."

R. David Lankes, professor and dean's scholar for New Librarianship at Syracuse University, writes in The Atlas of New Leadership, "Librarianship is not about artifacts, it is about knowledge and facilitating knowledge creation. So what should we be spending our precious resources on? Knowledge creation tools, not the results of knowledge creation."

Raising Funds Webinar Wednesday

Wednesday December 12, 2012
An Introduction to Raising More Money without Asking (CharityHowTo)
 This webinar will provide you with valuable takeaways and new insights about how to raise more money without asking. To change people’s actions your communication must change. This session will give you fun, new ideas about how to talk about your fundraising needs.
Time: 10-10:45 a.m.

Transition at ProLiteracy

ProLiteracy has historically been the national group to represent and provide resources for volunteer adult literacy groups. They just announced that board chair Kevin Morgan has been appointed interim president and CEO of the organization following the departure of David C. Harvey. They are looking for a new CEO. It will be interesting to see who takes Harvey's place and whether that makes a difference in the direction ProLiteracy takes. VALF is a member of ProLiteracy.

Newspaper Stories with Online Learning Activities

Adult Learning Activities provides a menu of topics with newspaper articles designed to be used by adult learners independently. Topics are: working, law and government, family, school, health and safety, housing, money, science and technology, services, going places and nature. Each article can be read as s summary or s a longer story.

You can listen to the story, learn new words, spell the words, answer questions related to the story and print or e-mail your results.

Family Literacy Grant Opportunity --Due Dec. 20

We know that one of the biggest issues our members face is securing basic funding. So, we will continue to share grant opportunities with you. Here is one from the National Center for Family Literacy.

If you apply by December 20, you may get a $500 grant to support family engagement projects, events, or activities. Ten to twenty of the top applications will be notified by January 29, 2013. Funded family engagement projects should begin by February 15, 2013, be completed by May 15, 2013, and Applying is easy! Click here to get started with the online application. More about the program can be found at www.famlit.org/litera-seeds. 

VALF will also be awarding one or more of our grants to our members this year. Watch for the application later this fall.

Happy Family Literacy Month,
Sandy Newell,
President

A helpful website for adult learners who want to get their CNA

Does your student have the goal of becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)? While they are working on their reading skills in your adult literacy program, it might be helpful to direct them to

http://quizlet.com/8191690/cna-study-guide-flash-cards/. Not only does this set of CNA study flashcards cover critical vocabulary found on the CNA exam, it also dictates vocabulary and definitions to students! New words such as "ligaments," "cerebellum," "endocardium," or "trachea" might seem intimidating to ABE students at first, but this website helps students get used CNA jargon.

An additional bonus: students and/or tutors can print out ready-made index cards with vocabulary and definitions to study from!

 
LSTA Grant Program Spotlight

Broward County Library's Literacy Help Center program addresses the challenges posed by the swelling numbers of adults and children requesting literacy assistance, English language learning programs and computer access. This program targets neighborhoods with the greatest demand in their libraries and therefore the greatest need for supplemental programs and services, especially access to technology. At each site, one part-time certified Literacy Coordinator manages the program on-site, assists students in Grades K-12 with homework, provides enhanced literacy and English language programs for adults and provides youth and adults with computer technological instruction.

 

The Literacy Help Center program is designed to assist students with homework, provide enhanced English language programs for adults, and increase the availability of computer technology and training to all ages. The Literacy Help Center program is managed by Broward County Library's Learning Services and Youth Services units and is strengthened by ongoing partnerships with the School Board of Broward County, ProLiteracy America,  After School @ Your Library, Hispanic Unity, Friends of Literacy, and the Urban League of Broward County.  

Vonda Bryant, the program manager, is a former VALF board member.