Literacy . . . Info . . . News . . . Questions - PPIC Skills Gap

Educating California: Choices for the Future
Public Policy Institute of California - PPIC
Hans Johnson - June 2009

The bad news is that California is facing a “skills gap” - a shortage of college graduates - that threatens its economic future. But the good news is that modest improvements in college enrollment, community college transfers, and the college completion rate, particularly in the California State University system, could help to narrow that gap substantially. These improvements will not only help California’s young adults succeed in an increasingly high-skill economy but will also benefit the state by increasing tax revenues and allowing for greater economic growth.

California’s economy is becoming increasingly dependent on highly educated workers. But unless young adults’ college-going and college graduation rates increase substantially, the supply of graduates is not likely to meet the demand. PPIC projects that by 2025, 41 % of jobs will require at least a bachelor’s degree— but only 35 percent of California adults will have college diplomas.

FULL REPORT

Adult Learner Leadership Institute - ALLI

Adult Learner Leadership Institute Graduation [ ALLI ]

24 Adult Learners from Southern California library literacy programs successfully completed the 2009 Adult Learner Leadership Institute.

11 adult learners graduated on May 30 at the Carlsbad Library Learning Center.

13 will graduate on June 13 at the Upland Public Library.

In addition to improving basic reading and writing skills, many learners are eager to take on new challenges and want to make a contribution of their own:
~ Become better role models for their families
~ Assume leadership roles at work
~ Participate in community activities and decision-making
~ Advocate for resources for adult learners

The 6-month ALLI program was founded in 2000 as the Henry Huffman Leadership Institute in memory of Henry Huffman, a dedicated learner who devoted his life to spreading awareness of literacy in the community. Graduates keep their skills active by facilitating and co-presenting sessions for new learners.

ALLI graduates build self esteem as they increase their potential to speak out effectively on community issues, and act as spokespersons for literacy causes.

San Diego Public Library :: READ San Diego - 2009 Tutor Conference

READ/San Diego’s

19th Annual Tutor Conference

June 13, 2009
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, USD

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Sandra L. McBrayer, Children’s Initiative

Perseverance and Commitment Can Change a Life

READ/San Diego provides opportunities for learning and practicing innovative teaching skills. Join literacy tutors, teachers and literacy professionals from across California for a day of informative, enjoyable, hands-on workshops. 14 workshops are scheduled in 2 strands, with breaks midway through the strands. 619 . 527 . 5475

Some of the Workshops:

Understanding Learning Challenges and Learning Styles
Teaching Adults to Read: Fluency
Making the Most of Conversation Practice
U.S.A. Learns and Friends: Web-based Learning Tools for ESL Students
Health Literacy Curriculum for Beginning Level ABE Students
Teaching Adults to Read: Vocabulary
Ritin R EZ: Teaching Writing to Basic Literacy Students
Selecting Age Appropriate Materials
I Need to Pass the GED Now !

Riverside County Library - Library Offers Free ESL Classes

Library Offers Free ESL Classes
Desert Sun: May 29, 2009 by Aldrich M. Tan

A group of 12 students clap their hands as they sing a song to review the days of the week in the small conference room of the Indio Public Library. “Time flies. Days go by,” the students chant with teacher Hank Altheide. “Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday.”

These are not typical students. They are mostly adults over age 30 working on learning how to speak English through Altheide's English as a second language, or ESL, class. The teacher from La Quinta is seeing his numbers grow as more students find out about the free classes.

Altheide has been teaching the class for at least three months through the Riverside County Library System's Adult Literacy Program. The program has been around for at least 10 years, said Cindy Delanty, deputy administrator for the Riverside County Library System. There are similar programs throughout the county, including in Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and Coachella, Delanty said.

The classes are free for the students, but it costs $160,000 in local, state and federal contributions to run all of the sites, Delanty said.

The county library is expecting a 10 percent drop from state and federal contributions. What effect that will have on the ESL classes is not known.

The ESL class at the Indio library meets on Monday and Tuesday evenings, and there is a study group with a volunteer teacher on Wednesday nights, Altheide said. READ MORE !

California Literacy Calendar: June 2009

California Literacy Calendar: June 2009

SCLLN Literacy & Library Events & Conferences

-local, California and National Conferences-

visit

Southern California Library Literacy Network

for more information

Tutor Training Workshops scrolling in left frame

Local: June 2009

May 2009

May 30: 8 am
Adult Learner Conference – ILS
Corona Public Library

May 30 – 1:30 pm
Gift of Dyslexia Tour – Ron Davis
Santa Monica

June 7: 3 pm
Carlsbad City Library Learning Center
25th Anniversary

June 13
READ/San Diego Tutor Conference
Joan Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
University of San Diego

June 13: 5 pm
Adult Learner Leadership Institute Graduation
Gonzales Community Center
Colton CA

June 19: 12 Noon
25th Anniversary Tea
Huntington Beach Public Library

June 21: 8 am
Golf 4 Literacy Father's Day
Hemet Public Library
Golden Era Golf Course
San Jacinto CA

California & National: June 2009

June 11-13
National Community Literacy Leadership Conference
Hyatt Regency - Buffalo NY

June 22-25
Birth to Three Institute Marriot
Washington DC

June 25-27
Summer Literacy Institute – NCFL
Louisville Kentucky

Orange Co Library - Tutor Spotlight: Al Corson

Tutor Spotlight: Al Corson
READ WRITES: April 2009

By her own admission, Al Corson has been tutoring “since dirt.” She began tutoring because she wanted to do something meaningful with her retirement. “I think everybody has a responsibility to give back and share with the community,” she says, “and besides, you can only travel so much”.

Since she came to READ/OC in 2003, Al has worked with over 50 learners, both as individuals and in small groups. She is currently working with a group of ESL learners in Midway City as well as a conversation class in Irvine.

Over the years, Al has also volunteered in the READ/OC office, helped with special events, and offered her experience to other tutors interested in teaching a conversation class. She is always willing to help out wherever she is most needed. If she were to offer advice to new tutors, Al would tell them to be flexible and remember that they will learn as much as their learners do from the tutoring experience.

“Go with the flow, and don’t be afraid to be creative. Sometimes what you plan isn’t what you do,” she says.

Al certainly follows that philosophy when working with her learners. She feels that ESL learning should be hands on and draw from the learners’ own experiences. Some of her creative lesson plans include: asking her learners to bring pictures of their families to talk about in class or tell about holidays in their homeland, playing games like Uno or Bingo, putting Post-It notes in English on objects in the classroom, and using physical objects such as origami, plastic food, place settings, and play money to engage all the senses to introduce vocabulary.

Al has been honored with numerous awards over the years, including most recently the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2008. She hopes to continue to help her learners adapt to life in the US for many years to come !

CA Library Literacy: Social Networking Update

California Library Literacy: Social Networking

Southern California Library Literacy Network

member libraries on Twitter

Check out SCLLN's tweets !

Burbank Public Library: Burbankliteracy
Monrovia Public Library: Monrovialit
SCLLN: scllnliteracy

and up North:
Contra Costa County Library: PSCLiteracy

SCLLN member libraries on Facebook and MySpace @