Overview

Literacy Volunteers relocated its office to #4 Science Park in May 2009. We now share a large space with New Haven Reads and Concepts for Adaptive Learning, making it New Haven’s first full-fledged Literacy Center. The new facility allows us to have separate teaching areas as well as ample space for resource materials. There is a room equipped with computers for self-paced instruction and also a conference room which doubles as a classroom for small groups and tutor training.

Basic Literacy

At any one time Program Manager Diana Grubbs will be working with approximately 35 Basic Literacy tutors in New Haven. These tutors meet with approximately 45 students at the Literacy Center, at local libraries and other sites. Most of the students are reading below the 3rd grade level.  Some come to Literacy Volunteers on their own---deciding, after many years of job setbacks and personal failures, to get help.  But an increasing number of referrals come from social agencies: mental health clinics, halfway houses for released prisoners and homeless shelters.   Every student offers a unique challenge to the tutor.  Not all of them end up making the long-term commitment necessary to break the literacy barrier.  Some leave; some of these come back.  Some struggle without much progress; some make thrilling strides. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated volunteers willing to take on the challenge.  The tutors are a diverse group – men and women, young and old, some retired but many still working, from different ethnic groups and nationalities, with education ranging from high school diploma to advanced degree.  What brings them to Literacy Volunteers – and we ask them this question when they apply – is a universal response: “I can’t imagine what it would be like not to be able to read.”

Basic Literacy tutors Manette Adams, Lloyd Ayer, Bob Glen,  Norman Harrower, Marion Sachdeva and Joan Swanekamp have been active for many years and have painstakingly guided many students towards new levels of literacy.  A number of tutors bring teaching backgrounds to their volunteer work:  Sylvia Garland, Susan Sloin, Eileen Crutchlow and Pat Reilly are retired teachers; Bob Bresnick, Elizabeth Czap and Sue Curley are still in the ranks.  Brenda Trim-Hinds taught in her native Trinidad.  Tutors like Dita Varleta, Tracey Lamothe and Astrid Berk-Scholl are helping young adults reach their goal of a GED or a Gateway diploma.  Others like Karen Bell or Nick Cordero work with foreign-born students who are trying to recertify in professional or technical fields. Sometimes the primary focus of the adult student is on getting a job; sometimes on getting a better one.   At times the goal is simply to read the newspaper, or the Bible.  Or, maybe just read a fairy tale to a cherished grandchild.

English as a Second Language

Linda Nevas recently joined the Literacy Volunteers staff as ESL Program Manager in New Haven. The summer of 2009 was busy, with Literacy Volunteers tutors providing much needed summer classes throughout the greater New Haven area. Our tutors were joined by a support staff of two summer tutoring assistants, Geanella Lara from Albertus Magnus College and Lizzie Roberts from Middlebury College in Vermont. Both students enthused about the great personal reward they found in ESL tutoring, and they now want to pursue careers in a public service profession.

This year has seen a continuation of our partnership with New Haven’s Adult Education program to offer ESL classes at the public libraries. Well-attended classes have been running non-stop at the Fair Haven Library and the New Haven Ives Library. Tutors Carole Rogers and Michelle Norwood conduct a lively multi-class at the Ives Library, and Lydia Raizis initiated a new class in June at the Fair Haven Library. Their students have appreciated the tutors’ giving of their summer time to help students stay on track in their efforts for language acquisition.

Literacy Volunteers continues to offer a strong program at the New Haven Reads Book Bank, with an additional class at the nearby Rose Center. Tutor Will Shanks is well into his third year with his very popular Book Bank class, and his advanced students receive specialized instruction in writing skills. At the beginning of August, due to the high demand of a growing number of students, tutor Debbie Rohr lent her energy and enthusiasm to take over one of the Book Bank classes. Tom Zuraw heads up another great class at the Rose Center (across the street) on Monday evenings. These classes serve a wide variety of adult students from all corners of the globe. Another special feature of these classes is that they also benefit parents who bring their children to the Book Bank for tutoring, encouraging strong literacy skills for the whole family.

Our collaborative work with Junta for Progressive Action has continued to provide opportunities for students and tutors alike. In June Dallas McCord initiated a Survival English class which has helped students acquire the most basic and essential skills; the summer session concluded with an inspiring visit by Desiree Fontaine from Channel 8 News, who spoke passionately to the students about the importance of learning English. Tutor Andre Swier engaged his class at Junta with topics relevant to Hispanic culture, such as the landmark appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

Barbara Miles, a retired school principal, tutored her first class this summer at Junta, and she expressed the feeling of all the tutors at Junta, that the students give her a great deal of satisfaction. Junta is a true community house, where Literacy Volunteers work together with the staff to help Hispanic students improve the quality of their lives. Tutors Corinne Juhasz , Natalia Chieffo and Melissa Maier complete the staff of dedicated and talented tutors who make the Literacy Volunteers classes so successful!

Tutors Sophia Diamantis, Richard Katz, Kim Rivera and Andrea Schieckel are hard-working tutors at the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services site, where the Adult Education instructor relies on them to work with small groups of immigrants who have widely diverse needs. Andrea Schieckel has increased her volunteer hours from three to six hours a week, and responds empathetically to the handicaps of immigrants who arrive with practically no knowledge of English at all. She is teaching some people how to write the letters of the alphabet. This much-needed program assists adults who came to seek asylum and new lives in the United States. Tutors have worked on basic survival skills, such as learning to ride the bus, shop at a supermarket, or mail a letter, and many other activites essential to integrating into American life.

La Casa Cultural, one of our largest ESL tutoring sites, is run under the direction of Don Desmond, with tutors Sandra Caro, Linda Davis, Gloria DeMicco, Bob Glen, David Heath, Maachah Holmes, Silas Mullins, Marion Sachdeva, and Lee Stoltzman. Students are divided by level to receive instruction in small groups. The site has flourished and draws large numbers of students, some even from as far away as Bridgeport.

Literacy Volunteers provide classes beyond New Haven to serve the wider community. On the shoreline, students can attend classes at the Trinity Church in Branford, with Otty Norwood, and at the Branford Library with Lisa Davis Rucinski and Gary and Cathy Burgard. New this summer to open up is a Madison Library class, where tutor Noelle King O’Connor tutors a young mother recently arrived from Kuwait. The Brundage Library in Hamden hosts a class taught by Betty Brumberg, and Linda Nevas and June Paolino co-tutor a companion class at the Miller Library in Hamden. Tutor Jeanette Huettner provides two classes for Woodbridge residents, one at the Woodbridge Library and the other at the Blue Sky Nails salon. Her students are working hard to develop their ability to converse in full English sentences. In addition, Literacy Volunteers tutors Erin Peck, Hannah Hamilton and Agnes Siniscalchi provide on-site instruction to workers at the Electrix factory in New Haven.

Programs in Meriden and Wallingford

Program Manager Lara Chiaverini worked with both Basic Literacy tutors and ESOL tutors in Meriden and Wallingford. The Literacy Volunteers office is located in the Meriden Library, which serves as the “hub” for tutoring students who live in the Meriden area.  ESOL small groups meet at the Library several times a week and most Basic Literacy tutoring takes place there as well.  Tom Galentine, Bob Bailey, Anselm Schurgast, Ellen Davis, Jeanne Brooks, Helene Bush, Jackie Roper, Patty Szarka, Scott Harris, Mary Ellen Godin, and Mary Sivertson work with their students every week at the Meriden Library. 

Three small groups also met this year at the Meriden Library.  Debbie Dexter and Caroline Misarski work with a multi-level group on Tuesday evenings.  Chris Janis and Andy Yousko team teach a large group of students from all over the world on Saturday mornings.  Brenda Rapuano, one of out longest-serving tutors in Meriden, is currently on hiatus for health reasons so Lara Chiaverini is hosting her conversation class for advanced ESOL students.  Topics of conversation include idioms, politics, American culture, and current events. Nancy Charles is currently the only tutor working in the newly renovated Wallingford Library, however, we have stepped up our recruitment efforts to bring more tutors into this fantastic community resource! 

The community-based tutoring sites in Meriden and Wallingford are very popular with students. Easter Seals Head Start in Meriden offers ESOL classes twice a week for parents and members of the community.  Most are Moms with children enrolled in Head Start, but the class is open to everyone. Maria Lopez’s Tuesday class has been taken over by Debbie Dexter, who joins Wednesday’s tutor, Rita Kovacs.  The class is mixed level and always fun to peek in on.  Another community-based tutoring site is the Beat the Street Community Center in Meriden.  Melody Walton works there with students trying to pass the GED test. Literacy Volunteers received a Venture Grant this year from the United Way of Meriden and Wallingford to host Life Literacy courses at Beat the Street.  Students learned how to use a computer to apply for employment and how to manage their money once they got a job.  The first cycle worked with young adults at Beat the Street while the second cycle ran in partnership with Shelter Now. 

Bob Martin works with an adult education instructor at John Barry School Family Resource Center in Meriden.  They divide the class into two levels for maximum efficacy.  Bob has also worked with ESOL students to improve their writing skills and has tutored employees at ServPro in North Haven.  Roger Blouin worked with students at ThermoSpas in Wallingford this year.  His students have moved on and after four years of tutoring, Roger has decided to retire from Literacy Volunteers.  We wish him all the best!  Joanne Bean tutors several students at the Spanish Community of Wallingford.  This population is ever changing, most of her students have short term goals and are working hard to support their families. 

Literacy Volunteers is grateful to all the tutors who worked so hard to make a difference this year! We appreciate the donation of your time and your efforts to support our crusade toward 100% literacy!