San Bernardino Public Library - Literacy coordinator brings new worlds to adult learners

Literacy coordinator brings new worlds to adult learnersThe Sun: November 26, 2001 by Jocelyn Cahir

A simple menu, a road map, a street sign. Reading these things is fundamental in everyday life.

Paula Miller, literacy program coordinator for the San Bernardino Public Library, is just the woman to make that possible for everyone.

Miller is being recognized by The Sun for her outstanding work in adult literacy.

"I'm absolutely overwhelmed!" Miller said. "This is truly an honor."

Nominated by principal librarian Millicent Price, Miller is responsible for management, development, training and empowerment of literacy staff.

"Everybody related to the literacy field is so wonderful," Price said. "They are the best people in the whole world. (Paula is) a wonderful human being. She believes in literacy from the bottom of her heart."

Programs such as adult basic education and English as a second language are scheduled at varied times for the convenience of the learner.

"(If) people can't read, they can't function in society," Price said. "(Paula's) so helpful, giving them these skills to function in the world."

The Literacy Center depends on grants for its existence, and Miller happens to be an expert on writing grant applications. The funding sources includes grants from the California Literacy Campaign, Families for Literacy, the U.S. Department of Education and Verizon.

"To offer literacy services, I'm the person that oversees everything and writes the grants for funding," Miller said.

In addition to her normal duties, Miller initiated a free eight-week health education class for new readers, a pilot project she hopes will be expanded statewide. Classes were conducted at the Dorothy Inghram Branch Library and the Paul Villasenor Branch Library. The classes were taught at a third-grade reading level, with the goal of teaching better reading skills to help students better understand health care information.

Officials from the San Bernardino County Health Department and the San Bernardino Fire Department were instructors for some of the classes.

Office manager Glenda Monroe spoke well of Miller.

"She moves furniture with us, teaches class when a tutor is absent, encourages after-school homework and (encourages) students in their studies and leads by example," Monroe said. "(Paula) finds time to learn about everybody in the literacy center and makes it personal, too."

Miller said her work is fulfilling but admits to getting stressed out.

"I do have to say that you wonder why you are here at times, with stress in large, but when you have an adult student that, for the first time, was able to read a menu or a street sign and hug you and thank you, it's all worth it," she said. "An adult can tell you they've done these things that's what makes it worthwhile. That's ultimately why I'm here

Orange Co Library - READ/Orange County - National Association of Counties 2001 Acts of Caring Award Winner

National Association of Counties

2001 Acts of Caring Award Winners: Libraries

Orange County, California: READ/Orange County (Orange County Public Library)

In 1991, READ/Orange County (READ/OC) was created to provide an array of literacy services to individuals with low-level English skills and non-reading residents of the county. Trained volunteer tutors provide one-on-one and small group tutoring in basic reading, writing and English skills, so that individuals are more employable, more informed, and able to achieve goals such as getting a driver’s license or completing their GED.

In 1997, READ/OC started the Families for Literacy component to deal with the issue of intergenerational cycle of illiteracy. Children whose parents are functionally illiterate are twice as likely to be illiterate and also more likely to drop out of the school system. Volunteer tutors, therefore, work with parents and children so that parents learn how to communicate with and be involved in their children’s education, and children learn school readiness skills prior to beginning school.

READ/OC tutors also work with inmates in the five Orange County jail facilities to improve literacy skills and encourage detainees to continue their education after their release or transfer from prison. The benefits of READ/OC extend to all residents of Orange County because literacy levels have a direct impact on every aspect of society.

Literacy skills enable learners to become more effective citizens who can vote, better participate in their children’s education and adapt to the changing demands of the workplace. Since the inception of the program, volunteers have contributed 80,000+ hours of tutoring and an additional 82,000+ hours in talent and support services. Two READ/OC volunteers and the Literacy Services Coordinator have received Congressional Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Services.