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Like us on Facebook and check out our
Tutor Tips of the Week
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Refer a Friend!
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Know someone who would be a great tutor? Invite them to attend our next
New Volunteer Orientation
! There is no better way to change a life than by unlocking the power of literacy.
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Reading Connections NEWSFLASH
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We hope you are having a great February! 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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Reading Connections Student Speaks at Bryan Foundation Luncheon
by Tiffany Kallam
T
imothy Striblin, a former student with the Reading Connections Detention Center program, stood in front of a room full of people: educators, politicians, police officers, and business men and women during the Bryan Foundation luncheon on February 11 to share his story.
Just a few months earlier, Timothy was enrolled in reading and math classes through Reading Connections while he served a jail term inside the Guilford County Detention Center.
The room roared with applause when he shared his reflection, "I have learned more about my country through civics and that in our country and classroom my VOICE DOES MATTER."
Timothy described a humorous memory of class, "I had a lesson in geometry with interpretive dance. I can now form an obtuse angle with a ballet move!" He continued, "In class we heard and began to believe that just because we are in a tough spot, it's never too late to pick up the pieces and make something out of your life."
When Timothy finished his speech, the room exploded in applause and he received a standing ovation. Those in the room stood to celebrate his achievement over failure, perseverance over hesitancy and better tomorrows over the worst of yesterdays.
This is what education does. It pushes, it challenges, it connects, it inspires, it builds. This is what we do at Reading Connections, we challenge our students, we push them, we guide them to actualize their worth and in return they inspire us. They keep us believing in the work. And together we connect to and build a stronger community.
(Timothy pictured above with Detention Program Coordinator Tiffany Kallam)
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Reading Connections Wins $5,000 Grant From
Yelp Foundation
 We are excited to share that Reading Connections won a $5,000 grant from the Yelp Foundation, thanks to votes from community members in the Yelp Foundation Gives Local grant contest! Thank you so much to everyone who voted and supported us. This grant will go a long way toward training more volunteers to help hundreds of adults improve their reading, writing and math skills. This work only proves to strengthen our local economic development aims and strengthens our local economy by equipping adults to enter the world of work at a higher, more competitive level.
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Reading Connections Tutor Chosen to Participate in Community Read Event
The City of High Point is hosting its first Community Read events this year. These events give our community the opportunity to come together through a shared reading experience. The first book chosen for these events was Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train, a fictional novel based on real life events.
Accompanying this book is a series of book discussions held in the High Point Public Library, which are led by High Point Public Library staff and other community members. The first of these twelve discussion events took place earlier this month and was led by one of our very own tutors, John Syster! We were excited to discover that John had been chosen as a discussion leader. When asked about this experience, he shared that there was a lot of good discussion, but that probably the best part was that "it's got a lot of people in High Point reading the same book."
What a fun and creative way to bring a community together! Thank you John for being such a wonderful part of the Reading Connections and the High Point community! Click here for more information about Community Read.
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Jean Pudlo Joins the Reading Connections Staff
Jean Pudlo has joined Reading Connections as Associate Director. Pudlo was the founding Executive Director of Reading Connections in the early 1990s. She returns after 20 years of work with over 40 nonprofits focused on organizational change and strategy.
Pudlo served as the Interim Executive director at the YWCA of Greensboro during a time of significant transition (late 2008-10), and as Interim Executive Director of the NC School-Based Health Alliance in 2014-15. Her projects have included facilitating community based economic development planning, inter-agency collaborative planning, and founding nonprofit organizations. In the community, she has served in various roles in PTA organizations, as mentor for FIRST Robotics teams, and a founding board member of Greensboro Farmers Market, Inc. She has an undergraduate degree from The University of Virginia, and an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.
Her initial work at Reading Connections will focus on developing workforce training curriculum and community partnerships focusing on adults who have less than a high school diploma or low English skills, as well as event and fundraising management.
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Reading Connections Honored to Receive Special Impact Grant from Pi Beta Phi Foundation
Reading Connections is honored to be named a 2016 recipient of Pi Beta Phi Foundation's $10,000 Special Impact Grants. Monies awarded from this grant will be used to fund our Family Literacy Program in which parents receive basic literacy instruction using Motheread® curriculum that integrates adult literacy instruction with parenting education.
The Foundation awarded five $10,000 Special Impact Grants to nonprofit organizations all across the United States for a total of $50,000 awarded to support literacy. Volunteer tutor and Pi Beta Phi member Di ane Reed Cashion nominated Reading Connections for this grant.
Click here to learn more about the Pi Beta Phi Foundation and to see a list of Special Impact Grant recipients. |
ABE Reading and Math Tutors Needed
We are in great need of some motivated and dedicated volunteers to become Adult Basic Education (ABE) tutors in Greensboro and High Point. We particularly need reading tutors in Greensboro and math tutors in High Point. If you are interested or know someone else who is, please consider attending our March tutor training.
The free, three-part training will include an introduction to the agency, requirements for becoming a tutor or instructor, the four components of reading, working with different learning styles, lesson planning, and much more!
March Training:
Self Help Building,
Greensboro - 8th Floor Conference Room
Wednesday, March 9th
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5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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Monday, March 14th
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5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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Wednesday, March 16th
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5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. |
Supplemental Training
If you missed the Greensboro Graphic Novels Supplemental Training in Greensboro, it is not too late! Join us
Friday, February 26th from 10am-12pm in the Morgan Room at the High Point Library to learn how to use graphic novels with your students.
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Di'lishi Awards Reading Connections $200
Di'Lishi Frozen Yogurt Bar awarded three local nonprofits $200 as part of its Into Our Community program. Customers were given a spoon to place in bins representing three nonprofit organizations on the Giveback Voting Wall. It was a fun and "di'lishi" way to raise money for adult literacy programs in Guilford County. Thank you to everyone that voted with your spoon! |
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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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