Everyone has a story to tell, so why not take advantage of the fact that November is National Family Stories month to share yours? Family stories are a great way to connect, share family history, and leave a legacy for generations to come. Explore some ways to prepare for sharing and preserving family stories here.

Welcome Note

Photo from realrentduwamish.org Dear Literacy Source Community, This month marks thirty-two years since president George H.W. Bush signed a joint resolution designating November Native American Heritage Month. Keeping in mind Literacy Source's core values of Equity, Inclusion, Celebration, and Lifelong Learning we'd like to offer our community some ideas of how to link our values to actions that can honor the past and continued contributions of Native Americans. Equity: We know that systemic barriers lead to unequal access and opportunity, and Native Americans have faced countless barriers since colonization. Such measures as denying US citizenship to Native Americans until 1924 and forcing Native American children into boarding schools are but a few of the ways that discrimination is entrenched in Native American history in the U.S. Educating yourself and your community about this history is one way to gain awareness. Inclusion: At Literacy Source, we foster a space in which all cultures, traditions, social identities, and ways of knowing are respected and welcomed. It's no secret that Native American culture is underrepresented in many realms in American culture. Enhance a gathering with Native music, check out the Native Cinema Showcase (online, Nov 12-18), or peruse the poetry of the US's first Native American poet laureate, Jojo Harjo. Celebration: Another one of our core values, celebration is another important way to acknowledge Native American tradition and contributions, both past and present. How can you honor Native Americans this month and every month? One way could be by "decolonizing" your Thanksgiving to incorporate a land acknowledgment (see our land acknowledgment below for an example) or Native food or recipes. Here are some more ways to honor Native Americans. Lifelong Learning: One of the things we love most about our community is your lifelong commitment learn and grow. We all share a love of learning, and we are so appreciative of all the ways you give back to the community and continue to expand your perspective. In community,

Cat Howell  Co-ED, Educational Director

Shira Rosen  Co-ED, Managing Director

New Class Spotlight: Voxy Engen

We have a few new classes for fall quarter, and one that might be a little more perplexing is the Voxy Engen class, a class overseen by Phil Morris, our ABE lead instructional advisor, and led by some of our wonderful volunteers. Here is a short Q&A with Phil about the class.

What is Voxy Engen, and why did you choose to create this class for our students in particular? Voxy Engen is an adaptive web-based learning platform that helps language learners improve their language skills. Engen is tailored to students' level and needs via a needs analysis process when they first sign-on to their account. This adaptive learning platform is different from our typical classes and does offer some great options for our students, especially in developing domain specific language (e.g., nursing, engineering, electronics).

What do the classes look like, and why are volunteers important?  Student log in to Engen and work through courses that are assigned based on their level and interests. The adaptive platform is able to adjust lessons based on student performance and engagement. Our volunteers help students use Voxy in a variety of ways. Some students need assistance with the log in procedure and password management, while others are new to learning on the web and need help understanding the way finding features of the website. There is also a coaching aspect that volunteers fulfill by keeping students spirits high and creating a sense of community around what would normally be a solo learning activity. What do you hope students get out of the class? Students will improve their language skills through Engen. They'll also develop some digital literacy skills and some confidence about learning independently of teacher-fronted classrooms.The domain specific vocabulary is part of that push to help people be ready for particular vocations and help to bridge the labor/skill gap we see in today's job market. Thanks, Phil, for the insight into this exciting new class! We hope to include some feedback from students and volunteers participating in the class in future newsletters.

New Staff Spotlight: Sezgi Acar

Literacy Sources' Ready to Work program provides opportunities for people with limited English to work towards economic self-sufficiency. English language learning is supplemented with job placement services and ongoing skills training opportunities appropriate for the student’s English proficiency level. Our newest Ready to Work Instructor, Sezgi, joined our team in September, and we are excited to give you more insight into her personal and professional experience and how they made her the perfect fit for Literacy Source!

How were you first introduced to Literacy Source, and why are you excited to work for us?    I was a grad student at the University of Alabama and worked with adult learners in some other non-profit organizations during my grad school years. After we moved to Seattle, I started looking for similar non-profit organizations in Seattle area where I can help the community grow and nourish. Then, I came across Literacy Source. I was immediately drawn to it because working with adult learners has always been a passion of mine. Literacy Source’s mission aligns with my passion and goals in so many ways. Because the education our students receive impacts and nourishes not only them but so many others around them.

What drew you to the Ready to Work program? I got interested in working with adults in Alabama where I was a volunteer teacher at a community English program. When I moved to Seattle, I got lucky and got hired into Ready to Work program because now I am directly helping adult ESOL learners, my students, develop confidence in job interviews, land the job of their dreams or get into college through improving their English language skills, digital literacy skills etc. My objective as a teacher is to motivate my students toward a level of independence where they develop a desire to learn and be mindful of their learning process in a reflective teaching environment. I try to discover my students’ strengths and experiences so that I can capitalize on those strengths and experiences to help them enhance their language skills. I believe that every student has individual needs, and it is my job to fulfill those needs. To help learners succeed, the environment I create should be motivating and encouraging which would eventually help them comprehend the content better. Drawing on my personal experiences as a language learner and a teacher, I believe understanding what may be difficult tasks for students and why, will help me know how I can better adapt my lessons to fit their needs. Why do you think this work is important? What do you hope to accomplish? Cultural diversity, inclusion, equity have always been at the heart of my teaching. I believe in the transformative power of education. I moved from Turkey to US as a Fulbright scholar. Cross-cultural education has transformed the trajectory of my life. Through education, I was able to gain access to opportunities that I did not know existed. Adult ESOL learners are improving their English language skills through Literacy Source, and improving English language skills can unlock economic opportunity and improve quality for life for themselves and their families. Literacy source is creating opportunities for our students and changing lives every day. It helps the world become a more equitable place by making English learning accessible. As a teacher, I believe in the power of positive relationships. It is through these relationships that mutual understanding, learning, and sharing develops. One thing I aspire to create is the positive and happy class environment where every student feels at home: comfortable and happy. That being said, I hope to promote cultural diversity, inclusion and equity in my classes and help my students accomplish their dreams, whether it is getting into their dream college, or dream job. What does your (virtual) classroom look like this quarter? Virtual classroom has its advantages and disadvantages, but I want to focus on the advantages. I create activities that help my students utilize various skills. For example, we have “coffee talks” every day before starting the class. Coffee talks has a different topic every day and I try to implement different tech tools in it so I can test out what works well and what doesn’t. I also tend to create activities for the “coffee talks” that combine different language domains, for example, one day it is listening & speaking, the other day it is reading & writing. Engaging with students can be a challenge when teaching online, so I use Google Classroom a lot to just chat with students and help them get familiarized with the upcoming topic through asking them questions on Google classroom. We exchange ideas and conversations through the comment section on Google Classroom, which I believe helps us become more connected.

Thank you, Sezgi, for sharing more about your life and your classroom with us!

Meet our Newest Board Members!

We'd like to introduce you to two more our newest board members, Priya Sing and Jennifer McCleary-Sills.

Priya Singh DEI Management Consultant   Priya first fell in love with Literacy Source in 2011 when she ran a suite of programs for immigrant and refugee families in Seattle’s Central District. She has lived her entire adult life in Seattle and has done DEI work across those years – either paid or volunteer. Priya is currently a DEI consultant, advising organizations on DEI strategy, policies and programming, and inclusive leadership. She holds a M.Ed. from the University of Washington. During rainy and non-rainy seasons, you can find Priya baking, eating out, or watching Korean dramas.

Jennifer McCleary-Sills Social Equity Principal, MITRE Corporation Jennifer is a Social & Behavioral Scientist and equity-centered researcher with two decades of experience in public health programs in the US, the Middle East, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Pacific Islands. She is the incoming Social Equity Principal at the MITRE Corporation. Jennifer has held leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank Group, and the International Center for Research on Women. She holds honors degrees from Yale University (BA) and the Boston University School of Public Health (MPH), and a PhD in social and behavioral science from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Welcome, Priya and Jennifer! We look forward to the skills and expertise you bring to Literacy Source.

Trivia Night!

Save the date for trivia night with Literacy Source! It will be online, Tuesday, November 30th 2021. More updates to come!

Thank you, donors!

Many thanks to our donors who went above and beyond this month: Anne Helmholz The Satterberg Foundation We couldn't do this work without YOUR support!

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.