February Volunteer Hours: 332 |
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School Year to Date: 5693 |
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The students that make up our Literacy Source community create a a rich blend of cultures and traditions. This month is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, and with roughly one quarter of our students identifying as Asian, we thought it was the perfect time to share about an event that has particular importance to our students from China: the Dragon Boat Festival.
One of our interns, Leanne Lin, is from Taiwan, and she recently shared with us this incredible National Geographic video on the dragon boat races in China. From the more low-key races like one-person fishing boats, to the world's longest dragon boat, powered by women rowers, in Guizhou, the races can differ greatly from region to region. They also provide an opportunity to celebrate tradition, whether that's by honoring traditional Chinese dress, paying respects to elders in nearby temples, or sharing sachets that protect the wearer's health. Food of course, also plays an important role, thought the customary dish is different from region to region.
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We hope you enjoy the video as much as we did! We are always thankful for opportunities to celebrate the cultures that broaden our community, and we hope you have the opportunity to participate in a dragon boat festival - perhaps even in Seattle if they succeed in reinstating it in the coming years.
In community,
Liz Wurster
Communications Coordinator
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"Yes, it is a mouthful. And it includes a huge range of people who can trace their
ancestry to one giant continent of over forty different countries and
about twenty-five thousands islands in the Pacific Ocean."
~Dolly Li
If there's one thing most of us can agree on, it's that the world is becoming increasingly complicated. What we don't always agree on is whether or not that's a good thing. This month is Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI), which may have you scratching your head wondering, But just last year wasn't it just AAPI month? And yes, it's true, since it was signed into law in 1978, the name of this month has changed several times. However, as is often the case, when you begin to dive into the history of Asian identity, especially in the United States, some common - and complicated - historical themes arise.
- What are the considerations that Asian Americans make in answering the question: "Do you consider yourself Asian American?"
- What is the history behind the term Asian-American?
- Who gets to be Asian American and why is it so hard for Asian Americans to find an identity - or an acronym - to share?
- Why is aggregated data about Asian communities problematic?
- What historical circumstances play a role in Asian identity in the United States, and why are those stories important to share?
As you all know from your lived experiences and your experiences with our students who have backgrounds that span the globe: each person's identity is a complex tapestry woven of decades of experience and centuries of heritage, so it makes sense that it's a complicated topic.
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Roundtable Discussion: Trauma-Informed Teaching |
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Roundtable Discussion: Trauma-Informed Teaching
Please join us for our spring term volunteer roundtable discussion: Trauma-Informed Teaching (online) on Tuesday, May 30th, 6 – 7pm.
In last month's newsletter we featured an article on Trauma-Informed Teaching and asked the question "How can we create a learning environment where everyone can thrive?". Please join us for online group discussion where we will be discussing this question and taking a deeper dive into what teaching/tutoring practices and strategies best support a student's learning.
Before the discussion, please review the slides from the training, Trauma-Informed Teaching For Adult Learners, and join the discussion with this link:
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Writing Best Practices
This is a writing-focused spring quarter. In my ESOL 2/3 class, students have been learning the five rules of good writing below. If you check the lesson slides this quarter, you can know what topics students address in their writing.
[Five rules of good writing]
1. Every sentence starts with a CAPITAL letter.
2. Every sentence has a verb.
3. Every sentence has a subject.
4. Every sentence has end punctuation.
5. Every sentence makes sense.
Read the full teaching tip here.
By Kaeyoung Park, ESOL Instructional Adviser
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Congratulations - and thank you! - to the following volunteers for reaching a year of service with Literacy Source!
- Lisa Maberry
- Liz Hedreen
- Sarah Garcia
- Shagufta Yasmin
- Sonam Sharma
- Val Melikhova
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Additional Volunteer Needs |
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We are looking for volunteers to assist with student testing starting in June! The tests are given on Chromebooks and students are tested in groups together at our center in Lake City.
The responsibilities include helping with the set-up of the computers, proctoring the testing sessions with a Literacy Source staff member, and shutting down the computers after each session. Time commitment is typically 3 hours per session.
This is a great volunteer opportunity for anyone who is looking for an in-person, student-facing volunteer role with a less frequent time commitment. Literacy Source runs student testing in the months of June, September, December, and March. Volunteers are needed for daytime and evening sessions.
If you are interested in learning more and are able to commit to proctoring at least 2-3 times a year, please reach out to Sarah McCormick, Data Manager, for more details!
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There were four new citizens this month, hailing from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Somalia. Congratulations!
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Thanks to all those that came to the online Literary Mixer last week. Everyone brought a favorite book to share and we traveled around the world hearing about recent reads, a childhood favorite, and books by Japanese, Native American, and local authors. Our Literacy Source volunteers are truly avid and eclectic readers so please enjoy the book recommendations below from the evening.
For our next volunteer appreciation events, look out for info about a summer party at the center with students and staff, an in-person Literary Mixer in the fall, and we may even pull off another trivia night!
Thank you all so much for your valued service to our adult learners, we couldn't do what we do without your help.
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Literary Book Mixer Recommendations |
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And a few more (links included):
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Saturday, May 20, 11am-5pm (Armory Food & Event Hall, Seattle Center, FREE)
The festival explores traditional and contemporary influences of China, covering 5,000 years of history through folk dances, artwork, dance, and more!
Seattle Center Festál is a year-round series of 24 free cultural festivals, produced in partnership with community organizations. In 2022, Festál celebrated 25 years of stories and traditions, ushering in a new era of hybrid programming. Learn more about Festál and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.
Monday, May 22, 7 – 8:30pm (Seattle Public Library Central Branch, FREE)
Moving from the Links in the field to the protestors to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system’s unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means from a “new and necessary American voice” (Tommy Orange, The New York Times Book Review).
Wednesday, May 24, 6pm (Town Hall Seattle, $5-$20)
In his life, Aziz Shehadeh was many things — among them a lawyer, a political detainee, and the father of activist and author, Raja Shehadeh.
Raja’s latest book, We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I, is a subtle psychological portrait of a complicated father-son relationship. Set against the backdrop of continuing political unrest, Raja describes his failure as a young man to recognize his father’s courage as an activist, and, in turn, his father’s inability to appreciate Raja’s own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights. Then in 1985, Aziz Shehadeh is murdered, and Raja undergoes a profound and irrevocable change.
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AmeriCorps: We are Hiring!
Please help us spread the word. We are hiring 3 full-time positions, starting either June or September 2023.
Please contact Caroline for more details.
Other positions:
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Our next New Volunteer Orientation (via Zoom) will be on June 7 at either 1pm or 7pm.
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Spring Classes are in full swing and run from April 8th - June 13th. There is no class on Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day.
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Miss any of our past volunteer newsletters? You can access archived newsletters at the bottom of the Volunteer Resources of our webpage.
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Literacy Source acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral land of the Coast Salish people, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, Duwamish and Muckleshoot nations. Indigenous people are still here and continue to honor and bring light to their lived histories. We affirm Native American sovereignty and acknowledge the sacrifices and contributions of Indigenous people of Puget Sound. We acknowledge the ongoing disparities, racism, and political erasure they face today and pledge to donate, promote resources, and educate about the struggles of the Coast Salish tribes. We raise our hands to honor Chief Seattle’s Duwamish tribe of Indigenous peoples past, present, and future. |
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