Total Volunteer Hours in May
                  1365
Volunteer Hours in 2017-18 School Year
13414
Some of the books on display in our student reading library.
Hello everyone - We hope you all have been enjoying the lovely warm weather! We are gearing up for summer term, which starts on July 2. The theme in classes this quarter is community, encompassing a broad range of topics like family, transportation, accessing community resources, daily routines, leisure activities, calendars, schedules, and many more! We are planning a lot of fun things this summer, including a student-led book club, transportation-related field trips in partnership with Hopelink, and our annual Summer Celebration. Please read on to learn more.

Also, we will not have a Volunteer Newsletter in July, but it'll be back again in August. We wish everyone a fantastic quarter!
Join Us for Summer Book Club!
Part of the cover of The Guest Cat.
This summer, our ABE 4/5 class will be reading The Guest Cat  by Takashi Hiraide, and we'd like to invite you to join us! "A bestseller in France and winner of Japan's Kiyama Shohei Literary Award, The Guest Cat by the acclaimed poet Takashi Hiraide is a subtly moving and exceptionally beautiful novel about the transient nature of life and idiosyncratic but deeply felt ways of living" (Goodreads).
 
Students will be leading and participating in two book club meetings to discuss our reading experiences. Part 1 will take place on Wednesday, July 25 from 6-8:30 pm during class, and Part 2 will be on Monday, August 20 at the same time, just after summer quarter wraps up.  There are many copies of the book available through Seattle Public Libraries, and we'll have some copies available at Literacy Source as well. 
 
If you're interested in joining us, we'd love to have you - please email Jennie for more information.
Save the Date: Literacy Source Summer Celebration!
It's time to mark your calendars for our annual summer party, which will take place on Thursday, August 16 from  5:30-7:30 pm. Please join us to celebrate the many wonderful accomplishments and dedication of our students and volunteers. There will be food and entertainment - please bring a dish to share! For those of you who have never been to one of our summer potlucks before, this is a great way to connect and socialize with the broader Literacy Source community. Come meet other Literacy Source students and volunteers! Family and friends are welcome.  You can RSVP on our  Facebook page (optional but not required). We hope to see you there!
Culturally Responsive Teaching: The Power of Multilingual Learning (Part 3)
Part of the classroom agreement poster from our Ready to Work class.
The April and May articles on culturally responsive teaching examined some of the reasons for incorporating learners' native languages into teaching or tutoring. In case you missed those articles or want to revisit them, you can access previous volunteer newsletters at the bottom of the Volunteer Resources page of our website, here. Let's summarize our learning on native language use in teaching thus far:
  • Leveraging native language skills benefits students' English language learning
  • Incorporating native languages leads to more inclusivity in the school setting
  • Utilizing learners' oral skills in all their languages can help teachers scaffold to literacy tasks in English
  • Considering the history of English as a tool of oppression, the "English-Only" mindset is problematic and must be confronted as such
So how do we actually implement teaching practices that will benefit students? Although the CUNY practice briefs on translanguaging cited in April's article are aimed at P-12 students, many of these ideas can be utilized in adult learning as well. According to this article, there are three strands of a translanguaging pedagogy: 1) the teacher's stance, 2) the instructional and assessment design, and 3) the shifts. Using this framework, let's examine some concrete strategies for implementation:
 
1. The Teacher's Stance:
Definition: The philosophical belief about the value of bilingualism
Classroom Strategies: learn the names of student's language(s) and what language(s) s/he uses at home, discuss the value of multilingualism, learn a couple key words/phrases in the student's primary language, choose materials and establish classroom norms that leverage native language use
 
2. Instructional and Assessment Design
Definition: Materials and classroom set-up that allow for multilingual learning
Classroom Strategies: incorporate multilingual materials when available, group students by native language when appropriate, provide learners with assessment directions in native languages when possible, encourage use of bilingual dictionaries/translators for vocabulary development, provide time for students to speak on complex topics in native language groups before attempting discussion in English
 
3. The Shifts
Definition: Adapting instruction for learners who are on a continuum of multilingualism
Classroom Strategies: encourage learners to check understanding with a partner in their native language, give students choice about how much they do in English vs. native language vs. a combination of the two, observe the non-verbal and verbal (in native language) cues that indicate a need to change course in the lesson
 
Many of the above strategies are best practices in general for providing learner-centered education for adults. As you reflect on your teaching or tutoring practice, please commit to implementing one or two of the above ideas and discuss the changes with your student(s). Our learners' language diversity deserves to be celebrated, honored, and utilized as the incredible learning tool that it is. Questions, comments, or ideas? Please email Lauren
Citizenship Spotlight
Students and volunteers in Ruby's evening citizenship class after their mock election.
We'd like to congratulate our newest U.S. citizens,  Ruifeng Ye  (from China) and  Tsehy Mentella  (from Ethiopia), who were naturalized in May!

Additionally, this quarter our citizenship classes held mock elections after listening to speeches from students running for President, Vice President, senators, and US representative. Our evening class elected Fatoumata Sylla as the president, who then appointed her chief justice and cabinet. It was a fun end-of-term class project.

Thank you to the many volunteers who work with citizenship students at Literacy Source!
Teaching Tip: Active Listening (Part 4)
Each month, we highlight one of the best practices on our tutor self-evaluation form, located on our Google Drive. We hope volunteers can revisit this form on an ongoing basis to help you reflect on the work you are doing with your student(s). There is a different form for instructors, located here
Active listeners pay attention to when they don't understand what they're hearing and use strategies to have material repeated so they can better understand. This is the best teaching practice on the tutor self-evaluation form, highlighted above. As we're teaching, we want to model for our learners how to ask questions to support listening comprehension.

There are many types of ways to model comprehension checks. A simple way is to repeat the part of the speech you didn't understand with rising intonation. 
For example, if a student says, "My mother was from Eritrea, " you could repeat, "Eritrea?" and wait for them to respond to check your understanding.
 
Another example would be to rephrase what you heard and ask if it's correct. For example, if a student says, "I really like to cook but only injera and tsebhi," you could say, "I understand that you like to cook injera and something else. Is that right?"  You can model the frame "I understand ____. Is that right?" for your student and then have them also practice that in conversation with you when they are listening. 
 
Try these two strategies out with your learner the next time you're having conversation practice. Tell them you'll practice what to do when they don't understand something in a conversation, model the strategy, and have them practice using it with you. Let us know if it works!
Announcement: Previous Volunteer Newsletters Now Archived!
We'd like to let everyone know that previous volunteer newsletters (since the beginning of this year) are now available online! If you are new to volunteering at Literacy Source or have missed any of our past newsletters, feel free to check them out for additional tips and resources. You can access the newsletters at the bottom of the Volunteer Resources page on our website.
Upcoming Citizenship Educator Training Symposium
If you work with citizenship students at Literacy Source, we encourage you to consider attending this FREE training symposium from USCIS on the naturalization process and adult citizenship education. The symposium is at the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle on July 18 & 19 from 9 am-4 pm and 9 am-3 pm, respectively. Join the USCIS Education Program Specialists from the Office of Citizenship and the Community Relations Officer from the USCIS Seattle District Office for a two-day learning event, which will provide educators with an in-depth overview of the naturalization process/test and a synopsis of the principles of second language acquisition. There will be free materials for adult citizenship education classrooms as well. Register online at uscis.gov/teachertraining. The deadline to register is July 10, 2018.
Job Interview Workshop
Thank you to the 7 wonderful volunteers - Sally, Janine, Abhi, Carolyn, Nancy, Laura, and Julia - who participated in our recent Job Interview Workshop! 8 students attended and learned about topics such as body language, personal strengths, and common interview questions. Special thanks to Sally Von Bargen for helping plan the workshop and facilitating the lesson. For the latter half of the workshop, students circulated around various interview stations where volunteers played the role of mock interviewers. At the end, students said they felt more confident than before because of the many opportunities they had to practice (each student went through 3-5 mock interviews). Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!
Celebrating a Year of Service
We'd like to take a moment to thank Carita Polin, Danny Eng, Joani Harr, Julie Scandora, Kate Homewood, Kylie Kypreos, Michelle Schewe, Pam Avriett, Pamela Center, Parvin Pemberton, Rachel Pendragon, Rod Johnson, and Sara Laurino for reaching one year of service at Literacy Source. Thank you for your support and commitment! 
Community Event Calendar 
Our community event calendar highlights some of the events happening in the greater Seattle area that pertain to social justice, diversity, and equity. If you know of any other events to share with the Literacy Source community, please let us know!   

Saturday, June 23
Wednesday, June 27
Thursday, June 28 Saturday, June 30
Women of Color and Allies for Women of Color Candidates
The Riveter
7-8:30 pm
More information here.


Lake City Future First Community Conversation on Race and Equity (Presenters: Moral Choice)
Laurel Academy
6:30-8 pm
More information here.
Dr. Robin DiAngelo Discusses White Fragility
Seattle Central Library
7-8:30 pm
More information here.
Families Belong Together Protest Rally
Jackson Federal Building
10 am-1 pm
More information here.

Ongoing Exhibitions and  Programming
Daily Vigils at Seattle ICE office (Community Alliance for Global Justice)
1000 Second Avenue
Jun. 20-Jul. 6 (M-F) from 8-10 am
More information here.
ARTvocacy: Refugee Art Exhibit
Seattle Center International Fountain Pavilion (A/NT Gallery)
On view through Jun. 30, 2018
More information here and here.
Let's Talk Race series (Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association)
Various locations
8 different events/topics throughout 2018
More information here.
MAPS Quarterly Open Houses
Muslim Association of Puget Sound
Jul. 21: Women and Islam, Oct. 20: Ask a Muslim Q&A
More information  here
Double Exposure
Seattle Art Museum
On view through Sept. 9, 2018
More information here
Everyday Black
Northwest African American Museum
On view through Sept. 30, 2018
More information here.
Seattle Chapter Black Panther Party 50 Years: Power to the People
Northwest African American Museum
On view through Nov. 27, 2018
More information here.
Wham! Bam! Pow!
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
On view through Feb. 24, 2019
More information here.
Staff Reads
Staff Reads features  books that Literacy Source staff are currently reading or would recommend. Read along with us and let us know what you think! 

Staff: Caroline Socha
    
Staff: Lynn Livesley
 
Staff: Lauren Plitkins

    
Current Volunteer Needs and Upcoming Trainings
LAKE CITY CENTER:

Office Assistants
Daytime front desk help needed. Good customer service skills and telephone manner required. Multilingual a plus.
1 x 3-4 hrs. per week (6 month commitment, mornings or afternoons)

One-on-One Tutors
Daytime and evening tutors needed for ESOL, reading, writing, math, GED prep, and citizenship.  Current need: T/Th from 9-10:30 am
2 x 1.5 hrs per week (6 month commitment, flexible times)

Childcare Provider
Wednesday evenings from 6-8:80 pm

Student Assessment Proctors 
2-5 hr shifts every 7-10 weeks (daytime or evenings)

Sight Words and Phonics Testers
1-3 hr shifts, 2 times every 7-10 weeks (daytime or evenings)

Training and ongoing support provided for all positions. For more information, please visit our website or contact Caroline.
Upcoming Trainings:


Talk Time Training

Friday, June 29
10 am-1 pm
Location: Greenwood Senior Center

Register here.



Literacy Foundations: Strategies for Teaching Reading & Writing

Saturday, July 7
9 am-1 pm
Location: Literacy Source

Register here.



WALDE: Working with Adult Learners in a Diverse Environment

Monday, July 9
5:30-7:30 pm
Location: Literacy Source

Register here.



The Naturalization Process and Adult Citizenship Education Summer Symposium (USCIS Training Seminar)

Wednesday, July 18 from 9 am-4 pm and
Thursday, July 19 from 9 am-3 pm
Location: Jackson Federal Building

More information here
Register here

*Icons made by  Icon Pond  from  www.flaticon.com
New Volunteer Orientation
Please help us spread the word!

Our upcoming New Volunteer Orientation will be on Wednesday, July 11at Literacy Source. Sessions will take place at 1 and 7 pm. 

Individuals can  register online here !
Summer Quarter Dates and Closures
Literacy Source is open:

Mon and Wed, 8:30 am-8:30 pm
Tue and Thu, 8:30 am-7:30 pm
Fridays, appointment only

Upcoming important dates and office closures:

June 25-28: No classes and tutoring, center open for New Student Registration only
July 2-5: First week of summer classes in Lake City
July 4: Center closed
August 13-16: Last week of summer classes
August 20-23: No classes, tutoring only
August 27-Sept 6: Center closed

 
206-782-2050 
http://www.literacysource.org

Literacy Source recognizes the inherent dignity, equality, and value of every person and strives to create and maintain a learning community that is respectful and welcoming. To foster and maintain a safe and inclusive community of respect, openness, understanding, and civility, it is crucial that students, volunteers, and staff are aware of their rights and options when confronting a discriminatory or bias-related incident. To read more, click here.