Manitowoc literacy partners unlock world of opportunities at library
What if you didn’t read English well enough to complete a job application? Or understand the directions on your prescription bottle? Or read your child’s report card?
When you can read and write, you can fill out a job application, understand a prescription label and more easily communicate with your doctor, child’s teacher, co-workers and employer.
OTHER NEWS:See what's fun to eat at this year's Manitowoc County Fair
OTHER NEWS: Manitowoc family copes as mom suffers from ALS
Quite simply, a whole new world of opportunities opens up to you when you can read and understand the language.
The vision of One-to-One Adult Literacy Partners is for every adult in Manitowoc County to have the English literacy skills necessary to succeed in life.
In 2011, Community Partners in Literacy (our former name) was formed through the collaborative efforts of Manitowoc Public Library, UW-Manitowoc County Extension and Lakeside Foods. The first program tutors were trained in March 2012, and the first learners consisted of a small group of Lakeside Foods employees.
At that time, the main focus of the program was teaching English to second-language learners — in other words, learners whose primary language was not English.
The program name was changed to “One-to-One Adult Literacy Partners” in 2014, and in 2015, the former “Adult R.E.A.D.” program — which focused on tutoring native English speakers —was melded with One-to-One Adult Literacy Partners.
Through all of these transitions, we have been blessed with the support of Manitowoc Public Library — one of only a handful of adult literacy programs in the state directly supported by a public library.
Our learner demographics vary widely. Learner ages range from their early-20s to their mid-60s. They come from Mexico, Laos, China, India, Poland and some were born and raised in the United States. Their individual achievements are just as varied. For example, our learners have become U.S. citizens, gained full-time employment, advanced in their current jobs, or used their newfound knowledge to obtain a driver’s license. One learner has even joined the library’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program and has read almost 90 books in English to her baby!
Each tutor/learner team identifies specific learner goals and develops a plan to meet them. Since we provide one-to-one tutoring, learners with very limited English literacy skills are able to improve at their own pace. When a learner has developed sufficient English language skills to advance to a high school equivalency or pre-college program, we assist them with transitioning successfully to other local service providers, such as Lakeshore Technical College.
In 2016, our volunteer tutors provided more than 2,700 hours of service. Using the national monetary value of volunteer time, this equates to more than $64,000 of contributed service to Manitowoc County.
Prior teaching experience is not necessary, but patience and a good sense of humor are very valuable. We provide training, materials and ongoing support. Each tutor meets about three hours per week with their learner, in addition to lesson preparation time.
If you have an interest in becoming a tutor, submit an application through Manitowoc Public Library’s website. Just click on the “How Do I ...” tab and scroll down to “Volunteer.” Once there, fill out the easy-to-follow form and click “Submit.” It’s that simple!
If you’d like to become a learner, or if you have any questions about the program, give me a call at 920-686-3026 or drop me an email at mpetersen@manitowoc.org. I look forward to hearing from you!
Mary Petersen is literacy coordinator for One-to-One Adult Literacy Partners.