Literacy Volunteers Urges Lawmakers: Don't "Close the
Book" on Literacy!
Marsha L. Tait, Interim Executive Director,
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse |
As they are working to close New York State's deficit for
FY 2010-2011, Governor Paterson and state lawmakers are considering
a 32% cut to community based literacy programs, including funding for
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse.
"More than 20% of New Yorkers
and at least 24% of adults in Syracuse
do not have basic literacy skills. The
current poverty rate is nearly 31%. The economic climate is forcing adults
in our community to learn new skills
and seek job training, and we have seen
an increased demand for our services. This is the wrong time to cut funding
for local literacy programs!" said Marsha L. Tait, Interim Executive
Director of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse. Learn more »
Marsha is also Public Policy Committee Chair of the National
Coalition for Literacy, advocating for
public policies that support adult learners,
their Advocacy Clearinghouse and Toolkit
is a great resource too. Learn
more »
The love of books is one of the greatest gifts you can
give a child!
One of the most effective approaches to develop strong
literacy skills for a child is to inspire
the love of reading and learning at an
early age. As a result, the Literacy
Coalition of Onondaga County is launching an initiative in the City
of Syracuse of highly concentrated and collaborative services, and
using Imagination Library as the lynchpin to hold it all together.
This Imagination Library program, which operates in over 1000 communities
throughout the US, UK and Canada, not only provides books to children
but also establishes a central data system through which collaborating
partners will strategize and mark their progress toward shared outcomes
together. Specifically, a new age-appropriate book will be sent monthly
to enrolled children ages birth to 5 in targeted zip code areas.
The project will serve families in the initial zip
code target areas of 13203 and 13208
in the Syracuse City School District's
North Literacy Zone, with plans to add
zip code 13204 from the West Side Literacy
Zone as funds permit. In addition to
the Dollywood Foundation, our project
sponsors include the United Way's Success
By 6, the Central New York Community Foundation, Le Moyne College, St.
Joseph's Hospital and a growing list of organizations and agencies
to register kids into the program. Whatever dollar is spent will be
returned in terms of children entering kindergarten ready to learn
and having higher rates of success in school. Learn
more »
An Idea Born in Syracuse - The International Tolkien Reading
Day
J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The
Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. |
International Tolkien Reading Day was celebrated locally
at the Westcott Community Center. It
was a gathering hosted by John Mariani
and Sean Kirst of The Post-Standard.
Kirst, a Post-Standard columnist, is
credited by the International Tolkien
Society with suggesting the idea for
the first worldwide reading day, held
in 2002. Learn
more » |
