Martin Luther King Jr., an icon of the Civil Rights Movement, needs no introduction. He fought against a system that was oppressive - and destined for change - and he paid for it by being arrested 29 times and ultimately losing his life to the cause. His legacy, however, lives on, and he is one of the most well known social justice figures in American history. Martin Luther King Day is the third Monday in January, and it is a good opportunity to take a moment and reflect on his impact by watching or reading one of the many documentaries/books about him, or thinking about ways that we, too, can make the world a better place.
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Dear Literacy Source Community,
Happy New Year! We hope you all have had the opportunity to celebrate in ways that are meaningful for you, whether that is coming together with family or friends, taking a walk in your favorite green space, or reading a good book with a mug of your favorite hot drink.
At Literacy Source, as we look back on the year, we are excited about the accomplishments we've made. We're six months into executing our three-year strategic plan and we've made strides with one of our top priorities: pay equity. We've changed our personnel policies, allotted increased paid time off, and given more equitable pay raises. DEI work has also been an area of focus for us: we've developed strong white and BIPOC/mixed race caucuses that meet regularly and have been working with Cultures Connecting to ensure that we continue to keep our values of inclusion and equity at the forefront of what we do.
We are also excited that are offices are (mostly!) back to the hustle and bustle of pre-Covid. The past three years has presented unprecedented challenges for us all, and our students, all too familiar with an array of challenges, have shown us how these times are also an opportunity for growth. The stories and podcasts below will shed light on our some of our students' experiences in navigating a new country and the importance of Literacy Source in their pursuit of new opportunities for themselves, their families, and the community.
We are also thankful for how resilient our staff and volunteers have been, and how our supporters have never left our side. We hope to see more of you in the coming year, and look forward to what 2023 will bring!
In community,
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Cat Howell
Co-ED, Educational Director
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Shira Rosen
Co-ED, Managing Director
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"There is always something new to learn in this class, not only the language, but
also building a community in which all of us have something in common."
~Martha Benitez , ECC Class Assistant
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Many of you may be familiar with our English for Community Connections class, where students develop language skills through the lens of community development. Students in the class learn skills necessary to successfully navigate and influence their communities and institutions through public speaking, podcasting, project planning, email communication, and academic language skills. This quarter, students developed and produced podcast episodes aimed at exploring issues relevant to them as a means of developing their skills and confidence, and we'd love to share a couple of them with you!
Martha, the assistant in the ECC class, shares more about the class in her latest episode, including the perks of having class from the comfort of her own home to how the class has helped her to feel more a part of the community.
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Senait's podcast is a comprehensive step-by-step approach to homelessness, one of the biggest issues plaguing our Seattle community. It's a great example of how students in this class are mastering the art of communication to make change in their communities.
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Congratulations to two of our students, Robabeh Nazemi and Yenenesh Tesfaye, whose articles were published in The Change Agent!
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Taking Care of My Grandchildren |
Ten years ago, Robabeh Nazemi packed her bags and flew to the United States to help her son and daughter-in-law raise their daughter, so she said goodbye to her family in Iran and "jumped onto an airplane for a new life". Read more about Robabeh's experience of settling into a new country here.
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Starting at $6.50 an hour
Yenenesh's first job in the US was in a kitchen at a hotel making $6.50 an hour. She pursued nusring home work, and ultimately got certified as a Nursing Assistant, because she enjoyed "helping elderly people, talking with them, hearing their stories, and learning from them". Her paycheck has grown, as has her family: she's now a wife and mother of three, and she dreams of starting her own business. Read more about her experiences here.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Jeff L |
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Jeff has volunteered for three years, 327 hours in total! He's tutored five students across three classes: ESOL, citizenship, and computers, and has assisted in classrooms as well. He is constantly learning, attending as many trainings as he can to learn new skills and keep up to date. He has attended more trainings and observed more classes than any other volunteer!
Where are you originally from? If you’re not from Seattle what brought you here?
I was born in Denver, Colorado but have lived in lots of places: Minnesota, New York, Michigan, New Hampshire and Florida. I came to Washington in 2006 for work and hope to stay here.
Please share something of your life so far and what you would like to do in the future.
I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism and worked as a reporter and editor for several years. I also have a degree in American History, which is one of the reasons why I like working with citizenship students. I spent about 20 years designing computer systems for newspaper editors and reporters. After working briefly for a couple internet start-ups, I took a job at Microsoft. I’ve been retired for a few years and now have time to do the things I want to do – like volunteering at Literacy Source.
Why did you choose to volunteer at LS?
My grandparents were immigrants. Even though they came to the United States more than 100 years ago, my family’s story mirrors that of many of our citizenship students. Helping our students is a way for me to connect with my past.
To read the full interview with Jeff, please go here.
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2023 Breakfast: Save the Date! |
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Stay at Home Tea Goal Reached |
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Thanks to you, we've reached our SAHT goal of $75,000... |
...And have raised $80,000 for our programming. We are introducing a stretch goal of $90,000 that will help us secure our programming throughout the year. Thank you for helping us ring in the new year with amazing news! We could not have the impact we have without your fantastic support.
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Advocacy Opportunity: WOIA Reauthorization |
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On December 7, 2022, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the bipartisan Adult Education WORKS Act, S.5202.
The purpose of the bill is to make amendments to the text of the existing WIOA legislation. The introduction of the bill in the 117th (current) Congress gives us a platform for ongoing advocacy for WIOA reauthorization in the 118th Congress, which starts in January.
Contact your Senators and Representatives to encourage them to support WIOA reauthorization! Learn more about the process here.
Here are templates you can use:
For the Senate:
I am writing today to ask you to cosponsor the Adult Education WORKS Act when it is re-introduced and ensure WIOA reauthorization happens in the new Congress. Please consider inclusion of the Adult Education WORKS Act in the full text of WIOA Title I and Title II.
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For House Members:
I hope you will support re-introduction of H.R.7309 and follow through with WIOA reauthorization in the new Congress.
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Literacy Source is seeking to fill two positions:
Correctional Education Program Manager and Instructional Lead (part-time)
The Correctional Program Manager will oversee supportive and culturally relevant instructional services to incarcerated individuals at KKCF and MRJC to help meet their educational needs.
Instructional Advisor (full-time)
This position is responsible for teaching ESOL classes (that may include ESOL Literacy, Citizenship ESOL, Workplace Adult Foundation Skills, and/or Ready to Work ESOL) at Literacy Source.
More information and job descriptions available on our website.
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Literacy Source is on the traditional lands of the Duwamish people, and we pay our respect to elders both past and present. To support the revival of Duwamish culture and the vitality of the Duwamish Tribe, please consider signing this petition to federally recognize them, or consider making a donation to Real Rent Duwamish.
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