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Letter from the Executive Director
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Photos from our 2019 Annual Breakfast
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Dear Friends and Supporters,
Our 17th Annual Breakfast raised a total of $156,597! We cannot thank you enough for how much your generosity means to us and for your commitment to education, equity and opportunity for all. The amount of support through all these years is overwhelming and we greatly appreciate it.
Our Breakfast theme this year of Big Dreams, Bright Futures resonated with all of us at Literacy Source. Every day, we have the opportunity to learn and celebrate with our learners, and support them with their goals of becoming US citizens, obtaining new or better jobs, speaking and reading English, and finishing their GEDs. We heard a few of these powerful stories from our students Rita Levitskaya, Javier Aguilera, and Woudalat Beyene at the Breakfast. Despite the barriers they have faced, they all shared a resounding message that education has helped them create opportunities for a better future for themselves, their families, and communities. We also heard from our emcee and staff member, Heather Zamudio, that her own story of Big Dreams and Bright Futures would soon become a reality as she will be the first person in her family to graduate from college. She received her bachelor's degree the following day after the Breakfast.
All stories are unique and many of them include the teachers, mentors, allies, and families who encourage and support us along the way. This is why we are always so grateful to our partners, volunteers, donors, allies, and instructors at Literacy Source because we could not do this work without you. Thank you for helping us make Big Dreams and Bright Futures a reality for all of us here at Literacy Source.
With Gratitude,
Eileen Aparis
Literacy Source Executive Director
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Community Partnerships: Skyline Retirement Community
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Workplace Classes at Skyline Retirement Community
As of May, Literacy Source has resumed a partnership with Skyline Retirement Community to provide classes for employees wanting to improve their English. Originally starting this past fall, with a break over winter quarter, a short-term class has been taking place twice weekly at the early time of 6:30 am to accommodate busy schedules. Instructor Lisa Greenfield has included content revolving around spelling and vocabulary to help the employees in their personal and professional lives, allowing them to better perform their work, as well as communicate with residents.
Through generous funding provided by the residents, and with the support of staff and supervisors, this dedicated group has had shown incredible consistency and interest in improving their skills. The residents of Skyline, in their efforts to support the workers they interact with daily,
hope to continue the momentum again in the fall and offer classes through next year.
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This month we are excited to feature Natthaya Sekendur as our student spotlight! Natthaya, who goes by the name Jojo, moved to the U.S five months ago from Thailand where she worked as an accountant. Jojo is currently attending Conversation Class, where she wows her classmates with stories of her weekend adventures, and Ready to Work, where she prepares for employment in the U.S.
Jojo is loving life in Seattle and really taking advantage of all the outdoor activities that the Northwest has to offer. This winter Jojo learned how to ski on Crystal Mountain, and this spring she took a motorcycle trip with her husband and is trying out boating.
We all appreciate Jojo's infectious smile and eagerness to learn. Thanks, Jojo, for all your hard work!
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Please help us spread the word about our upcoming New Student Registrations! If you or someone you know is interested in attending our classes, please call us at 206-782-2050 to register.
Summer:
Monday, June 24th and Wednesday, June 26th
10 am-1 pm or 6-8:30 pm
Lake City Learning Center - 3200 NE 125th St, Seattle, WA 98125
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Advocacy: Cultural Humility
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| Staff member Janet Arbogast leading a volunteer training |
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This spring, Literacy Source facilitated four trainings as part of the
Community Volunteer Training (CVT) held at Seattle Goodwill. One of those was a new training titled
Adopting a Cultural Humility Approach with Adult Learners.
As we explored the meaning of cultural consciousness and communication skills in our values, we realized that we needed a more reflective, sensitive, and humble approach to working with our population of learners. We needed an approach that would include self-awareness of our own implicit biases; shift a mindset of teaching to that of learning when working and interacting with individuals; and equal the power dynamic between tutor and student.
To this end, we decided to adopt and integrate the
Cultural Humility
philosophy developed in 1998 by
Tervalon & Murray-Garcia-
a physician and nursing consultant who recognized that while they were experts in medicine, they were by no means experts in the people they served. Cultural humility takes an individual approach to each person, recognizing that everyone has their own history, story, experience, and point of view and that we are all unique, regardless of our backgrounds.
We will continue to build upon this approach and integrate it into our work here at Literacy Source. To see slides and resources from the CVT training, please click here:
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Raman Chandrasekar
We are pleased to be featuring photographs by local artist Raman Chandrasekar around the Center. Here is what Raman has to say about his art:
As a photographer, I view myself partly as a kid with a toy, and partly as recorder of memories and moods. I seek to observe and capture images, rather than make or create scenes. I prefer to shoot a lot and select images, rather than to stage or post-process images. I tend to shoot candid rather than posed images, usually using only available light.
I look for strong contrasts between light and dark that make my images vivid and striking. I like patterns and abstract shapes, both man-made and in nature. I enjoy finding new ways to look at ordinary sights.
The world is a beautiful place, and I love looking at it through the lens of a camera.
If you would like to see or support Raman's art, you can email him
here.
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Sarah is leaving Literacy Source after having joined the team as our first ever Digital Literacy Coordinator in October 2018. She worked on-site developing curriculum to continue incorporating digital literacy learning objectives into all classes at the center, as well as with our community partners to create workshops and trainings off-site. Volunteers and students alike benefited from the trainings and resources that Sarah developed during her time here, and she did a lot to further digital literacy goals at Literacy Source.
We are sad to see her go but excited for the new chapters that lie ahead. Thanks for your many contributions, Sarah!
Fortunately for us, Marisa will be taking on Sarah Olson's Digital Literacy work while continuing to work on community projects such as the Democracy Voucher Program. Her new position title is Digital and Community Projects Coordinator. We are thrilled to have her on board as a full-time staff member after her two years of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member!
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Maddison Brumbaugh
Maddison, who goes by Maddi, is our new AmeriCorps VISTA member. For her year of service at Literacy Source,
Maddi is focusing on community building by
developing and expanding fundraising opportunities, increasing community awareness and student participation in Literacy Source activities, and expanding our ability to provide services to our students. After her year of service, she hopes to pursue a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Washington.
Maddi brings a lot of enthusiasm and positive energy to the team, and we are excited to welcome her to Literacy Source!
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Our student Sergio Rodriguez performing a traditional Mexican dance with his dancing partner at our 2017 summer party
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Summer Celebration
Thursday, June 20th
5:30-7:30 pm at the Lake City Learning Center
Please join us for our annual Summer Celebration of students, staff, and volunteers! All are invited to attend. It's a potluck-style party, so please bring food or drink to share. We hope to see you there.
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LAKE CITY CENTER:
One-on-OneTutors
Daytime tutors needed for ESOL, ABE, GED Prep, Citizenship and Work Skills
1.5 hrs. twice weekly (6 months commitment, flexible times)
Student Assessment Proctors
2-5 hr. shifts every 7-10 weeks, daytime and evenings
Sight Word and Phonics Testers
Daytime/Evenings, 1-3 hr. shifts twice a term
Outreach Help
As needed basis. Multilingual a plus!
Training and ongoing support provided for all positions. For more information, please visit our
website or contact our Volunteer Program Manager
Caroline.
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Literacy Source recognizes the inherent dignity, equality, and value of every person and strives to create and maintain a learning community that is respectful and welcoming. To foster and maintain a safe and inclusive community of respect, openness, understanding, and civility, it is crucial that students, volunteers, and staff are aware of their rights and options when confronting a discriminatory or bias-related incident. To read more, click here
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Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.
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