Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f1LFqq921388; Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:52:52 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:52:52 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20010221104037.007d0220@mail.psnyc.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Ira Yankwitt <iray@lacnyc.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:416] Re: GDEMETRION: "GEORGE E. X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32) Status: O Content-Length: 3495 Lines: 64 Debby- Your comments really resonated with me, but also raised some questions. Here at the Literacy Assistance Center, we get calls all the time from individuals and organizations interested in starting adult literacy programs - church groups, rehab centers, employment programs, multi-service CBOs, etc. While their enthusiasm and commitment to the people they work with is always sincere, we generally encourage them to partner with an existing provider, rather than to attempt to create a program on their own. In part, we do this because there are over 250 program sites in the five boroughs of New York City and we see no need to duplicate services, and, in part, we do this because we believe that the field of adult literacy is a skilled profession, and that organizations would need to make the type of investment in resources, staff and infrastructure that they typically cannot afford in order to create a quality adult literacy program from scratch. Still, as someone who is committed to a popular education/community-empowerment model of education, I can't help but thinking that I am asking the wrong questions and contradicting my principles when I discourage truly grassroots organizations from starting literacy programs in the context of their other community-based work. On the one hand, I believe that adult literacy programs need to be the kinds of high quality "schools" that low-income adults were systematically denied access to as youth. On the other hand, I believe that adult literacy education can serve different purposes in different social contexts. Any thoughts on my dilemma? At 02:49 PM 2/16/01 -0500, DEBBYDAM@aol.com wrote: >In order for organizations that serve or are in regular contact with adults >who need help with literacy to get involved, it seems there needs to be 1) >buy in from the top, so that individuals have "permission" to make this part >of their work; 2) a champion on the staff who believes in and is excited by >incorporating literacy into the organization's work and 3) a person who knows >how to get things done in the organization--how to take things from an idea >to making something new part of the work that gets done. Sometimes all three >are the same person, sometimes three different folks. More often than not, >you get the ear of one out of 3! I think what is key to community based >literacy is figuring out how to make literacy not something extra or new, but >something that becomes integrated into the work and mission of the >organization. If we do this, it seems less like school and more likely to >attract the adult learners (most of them!) who do not feel comfortable in >education programs. But if we do this, if we make literacy part of health >care, parenting activities, overcoming substance abuse, finding housing, >etc., we have to let go of school based notions about how, when, where and >why it happens. We have to start thinking about how to become more >integrally connected to the lives of adults, and how to make opportunities >for literacy happen in more places more often. This means we think of >literacy as part of lots of activities and places, and not bounded by an >entry into a program, a set number of hours devoted only to certain >activities thought of as instruction, and then a post-test. And who will pay >us to figure this out?! DD > > > Ira Yankwitt Coordinator of Adult Literacy Services Literacy Assistance Center (212) 803-3356 iray@lacnyc.org
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