Spring Spotlight on
Adult
Literacy
LAPL
Literacy Blog: 2.06.2019 by Megan Katz, Librarian, Office of Education and
Literacy
Looking
for a way to contribute to your community? Consider becoming an adult literacy volunteer with the Los
Angeles Public Library! Statistics show that an estimated 33% of the adult
residents of Los Angeles lack basic prose literacy skills. This means that, at
best, they may be “able to locate easily identifiable information in short,
commonplace prose text, but nothing more advanced” (National Center forEducation Statistics, 2003). Of course, many of these people cannot read at
all.
Los
Angeles Public Library tutor Luisa Latham says of her students: As a result of
being illiterate, these individuals have felt isolated and alienated and not
able to function fully within their communities… [They] have expressed to me
their fear and hesitancy around any experience where they would be asked to
read—to fill out a job application, to vote, to do so many things that we take
for granted and that they cannot participate in. You can help alleviate
literacy inequality by becoming a volunteer. We have many different
opportunities, including teaching classes, working one-on-one with a student,
and more.
Tutor
Claire Chandler decided to use her time to help others, “When I retired, I
thought about volunteer opportunities and about how to work toward changes I
would like to see in the world. Even though I had no experience teaching anyone
how to read, I applied to be a tutor at the Adult Literacy Program.”
Adult
literacy volunteers change lives, but the most inspiring thing about
volunteering may be what you will gain from it. Tutor Lorena Lordanic tells us,
“Tutoring Carmen this past year has benefited my life in so many ways. Not only
do I get to think of innovative ways to help her reach her goals, but Carmen
also inspires me to continue learning.”
Are
you ready to have your life changed by becoming an adult literacy volunteer?
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