Escondido Library - AmeriCorps and SCLLN Conferences

AmeriCorps and SCLLN Conferences
Escondido Literacy Newsletter: Mar/Apr 2010 by John Guigayoma

Two transfer flights, four continental breakfasts, and one drive through a rainy highway later, I have finally returned from two literacy conferences across the country, and the Annex feels even more like home. I journeyed out of sunny Escondido to present a two training workshops, meet other tutors and learners, and learn a few strategies to take back and share.

I hopped on a plane for the three day Literacy*AmeriCorps Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I met other AmeriCorps members visiting everywhere from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. After braving 30-degree weather and a couple inches of snow, I presented a workshop on goal-setting for learners, using our program’s orientation session as a model. I received great feedback from other AmeriCorps members who were eager to apply our methods to their programs.

Just a day after returning from Pittsburgh, I drove up to L.A. for the Southern California Library Literacy Network’s annual conference in Buena Park. Attendees included tutors, staff and learners from across the state, and the energy among everyone committed to literacy was exciting. Literacy coordinator Myrna Montano and I presented another workshop on goal setting, and it was great to be able to apply our strategies to help direct the goals of the learners in the room.

After a week of traveling, I’m glad I’m back at the Annex, and I’m ready to jump back into classes. I attended a few great workshops, including one on transitioning G.E.D. students to college and one on teaching learners to decode new words using a few quick tips. If you’d like to hear more about what I learned or even about the weather on the other side of the country, stop by the Annex sometime so we can chat!