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New Tutor Training
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All of our new volunteer tutors are required to complete a free, three-part training.
September Training:
September Tutor Training will take place at the Self Help Building located at 122 N. Elm Street in Greensboro.
Orientation: Mon. 9/12
10am-12noon
Session I: Tues. 9/13
9am-12noon
Session II: Wed. 9/14
9am-12noon
For more information or to register, please
email us or call (336) 230-2223.
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Upcoming Events
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Supplemental Training
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Using "News for You Voting Guide"
Wednesday, Sept. 21
TutorFest
October 15 at South University in High Point.
8am: Welcome
8:30-10: Session 1
10-10:30: Break
10:30-12: Session 2
More details to come!
SCRABBLE 2016
Join us November 3 for our 16th annual SCRABBLE Challenge. Please check our
website and follow our
Facebook page for more information.
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Reading Connections NEWSFLASH
August 2016
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Every month we look forward to sharing Reading Connections' news and community happenings to keep you in the loop and well connected.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Allison Meridin
Allison Meridin is the Detention Center Program's newest intern. She is a non-traditional/adult college student majoring in Human Development & Family Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, class of 2017. Allison is also a full-time employee at UNCG. In her spare time she enjoys leisure travel, fun conversation, listening to music, spending time with friends, house/home projects and cooking.
 Allison was born in New York but raised in Trinidad, the most southerly isle of the tropical Caribbean. At age 18, she returned to New York with her family before attending the State University of New York at Buffalo. She eventually wanted a new start in a new place and took a leap of faith moving to Greensboro, NC in 1994. She is proud to call North Carolina home for the last 22 years. Being raised in culturally diverse environments has given Allison a strong appreciation for people in general. "I have also been blessed with multi-generational influences in my lifetime which makes me appreciate history, travel and education. I believe that learning is a lifelong experience regardless of one's formal education."
Allison chose Reading Connections as her intern site "because it promotes education." She says, "It encompasses several of my interests: people, culture and lifelong learning. Occasionally someone will ask me 'how did you end up in Greensboro, NC all the way from Trinidad?' When I tell them my story, I am reminded that we all have a story about how we came to be in this space and time. I hope to continue my story, listen to your stories and help anyone struggling to articulate his/her own story."
Detention Center Program Coordinator Tiffany (Kallam) Bullard looks forward to the "perspective, heart and skills Allison will bring to our students and program."
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Volunteers Needed for New Occupational Skills Training Program
We are excited to share the news about our new initiative at Reading Connections, Integrated Education Training for Advanced Manufacturing Sewing Machine Operators. For this new program
 we will be partnering with Industries of the Blind and other local textile manufacturers to provide ESOL and workforce preparation classes concurrently with existing occupational skills training. The goal of this program is to support immigrants and refugees in being placed in sustainable careers in textile manufacturing with room for growth. Local refugee
service providers Montagnard Dega Association and African Services Coalition will act as both skills trainers and placement partners for this program.
We are seeking support in building lessons and a curriculum from existing training and job-specific materials from our partner employers. If you or someone you know might be interested helping shape lessons for this program,
please contact Programs Coordinator John Storm
. This would be a great volunteer o
pportunity for a present or former vocational trainer, HRD specialist, reading or curriculum specialist, or educator. Please share with anyone you think may be a good candidate for this volunteer position.
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Attention Tutors: TutorFest is Coming and We Need Your Input
Our annual TutorFest is scheduled for Saturday, October 15 at South University. There will be two learning sessions that begin at 8:30am and end at noon. Tutors will choose which supplemental trainings they will attend during this event.
Our goal is to provide trainings that are relevant and useful to our tutors. In order to do so, we are asking tutors to let us know what they want to learn at TutorFest.
Please look over these topics and email us or call (336) 230-2223 and tell us what interests you most.
- How to use technology with students
- Understanding assessments and using those results to create instruction
- Supporting students who are looking for employment
- Lesson planning
- Working with students who have learning disabilities
- Other Ideas
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Supplemental Training: Using the News For You Voting Guide
Many of you learned about "News for You" in tutor training and have used it with your students. The publishers have released a voting guide to help students learn more about the U.S.political system and the voting process.
At this supplemental training, veteran tutor Kathy Dunn will share lesson plans that she has created using the "News For You Voting Guide." Participants will leave the training with lesson plans and ideas that they can use with their students.
This training is open to both ESOL and ABE tutors. All tutors are asked to attend at least two supplemental trainings a year. Please join us!
High Point:
Wednesday, September 21 at 10am-12pm in the Morgan
 Community Room of the High Point Public Library
Greensboro:
Wednesday, September 21 at 5:30-7:30pm in the 8th floor conference room at the Self Help Building.
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Our Student and Volunteer Celebration Was A Success
Over 175 guests attended our S
tudent and
Volunteer Celebration on August 16th. Participants enjoyed a delicious meal from Darryl's Wood Fired Grill and listened to former Reading Connections student Diana Marsh share her inspiring story. Students and tutors who earned 100 or more hours of instruction during the 2015-16 year were recognized, as were the Student and Tutor of the Year from each program.
Raffle prizes were provided by Rite Aid, Scuppernong Books, the Greensboro Children's Museum, Triad Stage, and The Greensboro Grasshoppers. Congratulations on all of the accomplishments of our students and volunteers!
A special
"thank you" to Darryl's Wood Fired Grill for providing food and beverages for the event. And "thank you" to West Market Street United Methodist Church for providing the lovely room. We
appreciate their support!
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Save the Date: SCRABBLE 2016
Save the Date for the 16th Annual Scrabble Challenge on
Thursday, November 3, 2016
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Welcome New Staff Members
Family Literacy Coordinator Adriana Adams
 Adriana is a Greensboro native who graduated from Page High School (Go Pirates!) and went on to get her BA in Theatre Arts and minor in English from Meredith College. Adriana spent the last 9 years teaching in local private schools and working for other Greensboro non-profits. She is very excited to bring both her work and life experience to Reading Connections as Family Literacy Coordinator because, as the daughter of a Cuban immigrant, our mission is very dear to her heart. Adriana loves spending time with her three kids and working with her church to provide necessities to marginalized people and groups in her community.
High Point ABE Coordinator Blake Hamilton
 Blake is from West Michigan where he has had over 10 years of experience working within the nonprofit sector, with emphasis on community growth and strategic program planning and implementation.
Blake is a seasoned Michigan AmeriCorps Alum, having served three separate service terms, including the Michigan Service Scholars, Ending Homelessness, and Habitat Michigan AmeriCorps. Blake has also served as a member of the advisory board for The Bright Side Television Show produced by CEDAM (Community Economic Development Association of Michigan), which spotlights positive stories throughout Michigan.
Between AmeriCorps service terms, he has worked with various nonprofit organizations in support of community and environmental sustainability initiatives to better educate and empower those in need. He has a Bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a Master's in Public Administration from Grand Valley State University.
Community Literacy Assistant Victoria Brownlee
Victoria Brownlee holds a Master's of Elementary E
ducation with a specialty in literacy. She taught elementary school before becoming a middle school reading specialist, and currently works as an independent literacy consultant. Her consulting calendar takes her into schools every day to facilitate teacher workshops, staff development seminars, in-class demonstration lessons and curriculum-planning sessions. In addition to teaching and consulting, Victoria is currently working as a Community Literacy Assistant at Reading Connections.
16-17 AmeriCorps Members
We would also like to welcome our new AmeriCorps members, Erik Hill, Yolanda Ruiz-Hernandez and Taylor King. Erik and Taylor will be working in the Greensboro office while Yolanda will be in High Point.
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Free Online Training for ESOL Tutors
We are pleased to offer our tutors three opportunities for online supplemental training. Intercambio is offering three free webinars in September and October.
Tuesday
, September 6
- 9:30 am (MDT) 30 minutes
- 3:30 pm (MDT) 30 minutes
Lee Shainis, Co-Founder & Executive director kicks off your year with this 30 minute workshop on making correction and providing encouragement to your adult students.
Monday, September 19 at 2:00 pm (MDT) 45-60 minutes
- Being understood is a key to adult English language learning. The Interactive English adult curriculum offers two great tools for helping with pronunciation: (1) the Color Vowel™ Chart and (2) Pronunciation Fun. In this Live Online session, we will learn how to use both tools and integrate them into our lessons.
Tuesday, October 18
- 9:30 am (MDT) 45-60 minutes
- 2:30 PM (MDT) 45-60 minutes
In this workshop you will learn proven techniques for adult students with NO English language skills. Intercambio Academic Adviser, Debbie Goldman, kicks off this new workshop to help all teachers working with true beginners.
If interested, please register here. Once you have completed the webinar, please let your coordinator know so you can receive credit for attending a supplemental training.
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Our mission is to provide and advocate for free, individualized adult literacy services to promote life changes for Guilford County residents and surrounding communities.
We always welcome your questions and feedback. Please don't hesitate to contact us to hear more about how our programs are making a difference in our community.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Gore, Executive Director
Reading Connections, Inc.
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