Juan became the first Literacy Network learner to become a U.S. citizen in 2022 when he passed his citizenship test this January! Juan says his motivation is his family. Congratulations, Juan!

This semester, 35 learners are enrolled in citizenship classes, a 20% increase from last semester. In 2021, 35 Literacy Network learners earned their citizenship, and we look forward to celebrating with current learners as they achieve this goal in 2022!

Literacy Network supports all our learners from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This Black History Month, we encourage you to find and read a new book as a way to learn and better understand African-American perspectives.

Check out this list of new and upcoming books by Black authors for some great ideas of books to try!

Literacy Network has received a grant in the second round of funding for the Vaccination Community Outreach Grant program at Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).

With the support of this grant, Literacy Network will continue to provide current, accessible COVID-19 vaccination information to adults in Dane County so that they can confidently make health-related decisions for themselves and their families. This will include curriculum development, interactive lessons, a needs survey, and additional efforts. More information about this initiative and other grant recipients is available here.

Making the decision to sign up for adult literacy classes can be nerve-wracking for some adult learners. How do our learners decide to give Literacy Network classes a chance? Oftentimes, they're inspired by other learners! Grants Manager Autumn Jackson shared this story about a recent experience getting a new learner signed up for class:

"I registered a learner this morning and when I asked her how she heard about us, she said that she has been following our Facebook page for a while and that every time she saw pictures of our learners or read their stories, she thought ‘Okay, I can do that, too!’ She's been motivating herself to enroll by reading those stories!”

Congratulations to all our new learners who have committed to improving their literacy, and thank you to all our existing learners, whose hard work inspires others!

Help adult learners earn their GEDs! Literacy Network needs five more virtual volunteer GED tutors this spring semester.

GED tutors are placed in Madison College GED courses to support learners during class times. No experience is needed, and training is provided!

Why volunteer? Jack, a GED tutor since 2019, shares, "[Adult learners] are highly motivated – successful completion of the class puts them one step closer to a personal life goal. And they appreciate help they can get along the way – be it math instruction or an encouraging word as they take on personal challenges. To participate in this process is enormously rewarding, and I encourage others to join the Network’s volunteer corps. You will not regret it!”

Questions or able to help? Learn more and sign up on our website or watch this video to learn more about being a volunteer tutor.

Literacy Network's 12th Annual Reading Between the Wines fundraiser is coming up April 28, which means our annual auction!

This year, the auction will take place online in the two weeks leading up to the event, running April 14 through April 28. Literacy Network is seeking donations of new items, gift cards, and certificates for experiences (e.g. guided tours) to include in the auction.*

Able to help? Fill out an online donation form here or contact Margaret at margaret@litnetwork.org or (608)268-6578.

Reading Between the Wines is one of our most successful fundraisers each year and raises vital funds to support adult learners. Thank you for your help!