Literacy Volunteers of America, Essex & Passaic Counties, NJ Inc.

May 2024

Volume 12, Issue 5

The Insider

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The Insider, the monthly newsletter of LVA Essex & Passaic Counties, will keep you in the loop on all the organization’s upcoming events.

Thank you to Dr. Barbara Trueger for her time during our April workshop supporting our tutors in their teaching of reading skills by not only enriching their knowledge but also expanding their comfort zone and self-confidence during her workshop “Tips & Tricks: Reading Skills”

Literacy Volunteers of America Essex & Passaic Counties

90 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
(973) 566-6200, ext. 217 or 225

195 Gregory Avenue, 2nd Floor, Passaic, NJ 07055
(973) 470-0039

Cristhian Barcelos        -Executive Director
                                           [email protected]
Jorge Chavez                 -Data Processing Coordinator
                                           [email protected]
Sydnay Eckerling         -Education Coordinator
                                           [email protected]
Valeria Garrido             -Social Media & Newsletter Coordinator
                                           [email protected]
Cheryl Locastro            -Tutor Support Specialist & ESOL Instructor
                                           [email protected]
Marisol Ramirez           -Student Coordinator
                                           [email protected]

Greetings LVA family!

As the warm embrace of spring envelops us, we're delighted to welcome you to another edition of the LVA Newsletter. May brings with it a sense of renewal and growth, and we're excited to share with you the latest happenings and updates from our vibrant community.

This month, we are highlighting Ettling, a student from Honduras who arrived here before she turned eighteen and has worked hard to start her own business while learning English. While she’s currently taking a pause in her studies, she is a hard worker, and we look forward to continuing to see her succeed and progress towards her goals.

We are also bringing you the story of volunteer tutor Donna, who came to us thanks to another tutor sharing her amazing experiences being part of the team and helping other students (thank you, Olga! Our students are so lucky to have someone like Donna, who expresses admiration for her students while giving them her best to keep them growing in their skills.

May is Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month, and many of our students go through such an amazing range of experiences that we thought it worth it to recommend a list of books by wbur that address the vast experiences of Asian Americans in the U.S.

Last but not least, be sure to read our Featured Story. This month, we bring you an article that shares tales familiar to our community of adult students struggling to read and the need for programs, legislators, and others to do more to support them. Here’s a snippet from the intro: “Shawntell Fitzgerald is convinced that with the right kind of help in school, she could have learned to read. […]

Now 49 years old, Ms. Fitzgerald is struggling to reclaim a lost education.”

Our organization cannot thrive without your support. So, thank you to each of you who are part of the LVA community, whether as students, tutors, staff, donors, or those simply helping us spread the word about what we do.

In the News

To view the following stories, copy and paste the highlighted website into an internet search bar.

"10 books that remind us there is no singular Asian American experience." wbur. https://wbur.fm/3V7KEwf

"How to practice 'deep reading'" Life Kit: NPR. https://n.pr/3V6j2H

Ettling arrived in the United States from Honduras at the young age of seventeen. She recalls her journey starting in a car that had an engine failure and made it so she had to figure out her way by bus. She started her own cleaning company and looks forward to continuing her studies.

Tutor Training Workshops

Online Training, by TBD
Platform: Zoom (sponsored by LNJ)
Tuesdays, 6 to 8 pm
June 4, 11, 18, 25, July 2, & 9, 2024

Tutor Support Workshops

"Understanding Refugee Student Needs: Challenges and Approaches in English Language Instruction,"
with Wendy Jager
Platform: Google Meet
Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 10 am to 11:30 am

http://www.lvaep.org/workshops.html

Other Professional Development

"Long-term Vocabulary Retention for Adult ELLs through Retrieval Practice,"
with Betsy Ljubic, by COABE
Platform: Zoom
Thursday, June 13, 2024, 2 pm

Register @ https://bit.ly/3WRxtAY

Getting to Know Us
Ettling, LVA student
by Valeria Garrido

In the heart of the bustling streets and vibrant communities of New Jersey, Ettling's extraordinary tale of ambition and commitment to education unfolds. Arriving from Honduras, at the tender age of 17 and having faced numerous challenges, her determination to master English with the invaluable support of Literacy Volunteers of Essex and Passaic Counties (LVA) never wavered.

Ettling vividly recalls her initial arrival, navigating through transportation mishaps that led her to complete her journey to the U.S. by bus. When she met her computer teacher, Marisol Ramirez, she was encouraged and propelled to pursue English proficiency for herself and to bridge communication gaps for others.

For Ettling, mastering English wasn't just a skill but a gateway to opportunities. With the goal of obtaining her GED for better job prospects, she immersed herself in her studies at LVA. Despite facing interruptions due to childbirth, Ettling persevered, acknowledging her progress in comprehension and speech while diligently refining her grammar.

She found solace and enlightenment in the pages of "The Lawn Boy," a book that resonated deeply with her entrepreneurial spirit and instilled within her the belief that youth posed no barrier to business acumen.

Reflecting on her past struggles in Honduras, where economic hardship truncated her schooling, Ettling demonstrates the progress that one can make with resolve and dedication. Challenges inevitably arose, particularly in overcoming her initial hesitance to speak English. However, the supportive environment at LVA and her husband's encouragement propelled her forward.

As she balances her English studies with her responsibilities at her cleaning service company, Ettling emphasizes the importance of consistent practice and immersion in language acquisition. Ettling's linguistic confidence grows with each passing day. Whether engaging in conversations with clients during her cleaning service appointments or with other students at LVA, she sees every interaction as an opportunity to refine her language skills.

Looking ahead, Ettling envisions a future for herself as a realtor, driven by her deep desire to provide the best life for her child. She extols the power of English proficiency, advocating for immersion as the key to mastering the language.

Ettling's story inspires her tutors and fellow students, reminding us that anything is possible with consistency and dedication.

Literacy opens a wide door to life. Help us keep that door open with your donation!

Thanks in large part to you, we can aid hundreds of students each year. Please continue your efforts to improve the lives of others by giving the gift of literacy.

http://www.lvaep.org/donate.html

Millions of adults need help reading. Why the US needs to change course.

Written by Sarah Carr, The Christian Science Monitor
April 29, 2024

Shawntell Fitzgerald is convinced that with the right kind of help in school, she could have learned to read. Instead, she says, teachers in Milwaukee’s public schools moved her on from grade to grade, even filling in her answers on tests at times.

Now 49 years old, Ms. Fitzgerald is struggling to reclaim a lost education. Through sporadic tutoring sessions at Literacy Services of Wisconsin, a program for adults, she has made steady progress in learning how to sound out words. Ms. Fitzgerald has many goals to motivate her: helping her children and grandchildren with their homework, passing her driver’s license exam, reading the Bible on her own.

Limited reading skills are “stopping me from going where I want in church,” she told me, “and in life.”

Lower on her list of goals: finding a job. Ms. Fitzgerald works occasional gigs cleaning and in home health care when she needs the income.

Yet for the 1 in 5 adults in the United States who struggle with reading, help is not only scarce but also all too often rigidly focused on those who are seeking new jobs. Federal spending on adult education programs declined over the first two decades of the 2000s, according to ProLiteracy, which advocates for the programs.

At the same time, what funding exists is more narrowly limited than ever before to adult learners seeking employment. Black, Latino, and Indigenous adults are disproportionately affected by this mass disinvestment. They are more likely to receive an inadequate K-12 education, and therefore are more likely to need continued education to thrive in adulthood. Wisconsin, the state where I focused my reporting on adult learners, has the largest Black-white gap in student reading performance.

This paltry support for adults persists amidst a national reckoning in terms of how we teach reading. […]

For the full story please copy and paste this link on your browser: https://bit.ly/4at2rlS

Student Resources

Learning a new culture is more than studying a language. Tutoring is more than learning techniques. Our “Resources” webpage covers everything from legal matters, health care, & scholarships for immigrants, to professional development for tutors. Give us a look @: http://www.lvaep.org/students.html

Getting to Know Us
Donna Fraissinet, LVA Tutor
by Valeria Garrido

Donna's journey to becoming a tutor for Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) is as inspiring as it is heartfelt. A retiree with a rich tapestry of life experiences, Donna's enthusiasm for tutoring was ignited by a chance conversation with a friend, Olga Roberts. This serendipitous moment mirrored a previous life-
changing decision when Donna felt an overwhelming urge to volunteer with Hospice. Her instinctive drive to make a difference has shaped her path and enriched the lives of many.

Originally from the Midwest, Donna has called New Jersey home for the past three decades. She began tutoring about three years ago, motivated by Olga's enthusiastic account of her own experiences. Today, Donna works with two dedicated students, Chaivarit (Zeno) and Ximena, who have left a profound impression on her.

Zeno, the hardest-working person Donna has ever met, exemplifies diligence and creativity. His ability to balance rigorous academic pursuits with his passion for singing and performing is a testament to his extraordinary character. Ximena, on the other hand, is the epitome of empathy and sophistication. An educated and articulate woman, Ximena's humble and kind nature has deeply touched Donna.

One particularly memorable moment for Donna was when she observed a group of her students—Irma and Favia—collaboratively solving a challenging worksheet. She was moved by their intelligence, cooperation, and determination. Like all of Donna's students, these women embody the resilience and courage it takes to adapt to a new culture and language.

Donna's message to her students is one of unwavering admiration and respect. She sees them as heroes for their openness, hard work, and ongoing achievements. For Donna, the most rewarding aspect of tutoring is the opportunity to continue learning and sharing her knowledge of English. The most challenging is recognizing that learning a new language requires patience, repetition, and practice—something Donna herself grapples with, given her penchant for immediate results.

Her story of how she learned about us reminds us of the importance of building community and sharing the love of what we do with others (thank you, Olga!). Donna shows us the impact one person can make and the extraordinary strength found in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.