For press related inquiries about the Tarrant Literacy Coalition, the Corporate Spelling Bee, or any of our other events, please contact Kathryn B. Thompson at (817) 870-0082 (office) or (817) 917-5485 (cell).
You are invited to a unique event pairing financial literacy and one of the greatest American authors-John Steinbeck. This event will provide you with an opportunity to learn more about financial literacy and an exciting literary event that is happening in our community, The Big Read. You will receive a new copy of The Grapes of Wrath to participate in this community-reading event, fill a bag with books donated by Half Price Books, and all we ask is that you bring a canned food item to donate to the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
The Big Read is a nation-wide community event sponsored by the National Endowment of the Arts. Texas Wesleyan University has received a grant to bring The Big Read to Fort Worth, and has chosen to read the classic, The Grapes of Wrath. February 29th, The Big Read of Fort Worth will kick off at the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Many of our students may struggle from financial hardships like the Joad family in the book, and we realize that a strong financial education can aid in making the most of these tough times.
Tuesday, February 28th come hear speaker Al Godoy, from First Command Educational Foundation followed by a demonstration of Aztec's Financial Literacy software.
Please bring a canned food item for donation to the Tarrant Area Food Bank. You will receive a free copy of The Grapes of Wrath to participate in The Big Read. There will be a brief discussion on the book. If you would like to re-acquaint yourself with the book there is a discussion guide at The Big Read website. We will also have more than 600 books suitable for children and adults to give away so BYOB (bring your own bags). And as always, refreshments will be served.
When: Tuesday, February 28th - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Baker Building at Texas Wesleyan University
1301 Wesleyan Street
Fort Worth, TX 76105
Corner of Rosedale and Wesleyan Streets
Use the parking lot North of the Baker Building along Wesleyan St.
What: Financial Literacy Training with lots of FREE books
Introduction to The Big Read including a book discussion
Bring: A canned food item to donate to the Tarrant Area Food Bank and
BYOB (bring your own bags) for the book give-away!
Receive: A new copy of The Grapes of Wrath and lots of free books
RSVP via email by Friday, February 24th. jpare@tarrantlit.org
Albert "Al" Godoy, is the Senior Programs Manager with First Command Educational Foundation. Al is a Certified Personal Finance Counselor and has an M.B.A. and a B.S. in General Engineering. He has extensive experience in training and development and human resources management in private industry and has taught at the higher education level. In the area of training and development, Al has managed a training department and has facilitated management and supervisory development programs. He has been certified as a facilitator/instructor by Development Dimensions International (DDI) and Zenger-Miller.
First Command Educational Foundation exists to educate those who serve. FCEF is passionately committed to ensuring individuals, at all stages of their life, have the knowledge and skills to make informed, intelligent decisions about their financial future. FCEF has worked tirelessly to provide and promote education as the foundation of a productive society through scholarships and financial literacy education. They desire to become a nationally recognized leader in providing high quality financial literacy and by supporting the pursuit of higher education.
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. It provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. It includes innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive resources for discussing classic literature and an extensive website providing comprehensive information
Aztec's Financial Literacy software teaches the student how to manage their finances through an online software technology. The student will work through pre-tests, assigned modules, practice games, and post-tests that are presented in a simple yet engaging format. It has been designed for the adult learner in the ABE, GED, or ESL context. The Tarrant Literacy Coalition has been given a limited subscription to this technology and we may be able to make it available to some of your students.
BY STEVE CAMPBELL
sfcampbell@star-telegram.com
Texas has routinely topped the national growth charts, but the Lone Star State's biggest cities are behind the curve in an annual ranking of literacy rates.
Austin (tied with New York City at No. 22) was the only Texas city to crack the top third of the 75 cities ranked in the study of literacy resources by John Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University.
The annual survey of cities of at least 250,000 people focuses on six indicators of literacy: library resources, newspaper circulation, bookstores, publishing resources, educational attainment and Internet resources.
Plano (46) and Dallas (51) edged Fort Worth (54), which has seen its ranking decline from No. 45 since the study began in 2005.
Arlington has likewise dropped, from 57 in 2005 to 64 in 2011, and Houston from 53 to 60.
In the bottom 10 were San Antonio (66), El Paso (73) and Corpus Christi (74), just ahead of last-place Bakersfield, Calif.
The second-tier rankings for Texas cities come as no revelation to Peggy Rudd, director of the Texas State Library and Archives, which provides support for 560 public libraries statewide.
"It's a matter of resources," said Rudd, who watched last year as the Legislature cut the state library budget by 64 percent.
"I wish I could have looked at the data and been shocked," she said. "You get what you pay for."
She noted that the cuts eliminated $14 million in state support for local libraries. "So there is not direct state support for Texas public libraries," she said, adding that three other recent assessments of library operating expenditures and levels of state support all showed that Texas is "way down at the bottom."
Jon Engel, a board member of Literacy Texas, a statewide coalition, said the diminished resources will exacerbate a growing problem. Nearly one-quarter of the 18 million adults in Texas have serious problems with English skills or don't have at least a GED diploma, he said.
"A lot of those are Hispanics, but what's really interesting is, of that, nearly one-half are native born who did not thrive in school," Engel said. "It's a real problem. We ignore literacy at our peril."
For the second year in a row, the top four cities in the literacy ranking were Washington, D.C., Seattle, Minneapolis and Atlanta.
Texas cities got their best scores for Internet resources, with tech-savvy Austin ranked No. 2, followed by San Antonio (21), Houston (24), and Dallas and Fort Worth (tied at 27). Plano, Arlington and Corpus Christi were among 17 cities tied for last.
Plano placed second behind Seattle in educational attainment, followed by Austin (23), Arlington (38), Houston and San Antonio (tied at 53), Dallas (60) and Fort Worth (62).
Higher literacy rates, experts say, equate to more than just having a good bookstore, fast Internet access or a neighborhood library.
In an overview of his study, Miller wrote that "quality tends to be associated with quality, and highly literate cities often rank high in other quality of life metrics: Cities ranked in the top 10 most literate tend to offer the most active singles' scenes (Boston, Seattle, Washington and Atlanta), are safer (Minneapolis, Boston, Seattle, Portland, Denver and Cincinnati), more walkable (Seattle, Washington, D.C., Portland, Boston and Denver), and healthier (Washington, D.C., and Denver)."
This time, Miller also examined the relationship between a city's wealth and its literacy and found that richer cities are no likelier to rank high in literacy than poorer ones.
He pointed to Cleveland, which ranks second-lowest for median family income among the 75 cities yet ranks 13th in literacy because of a great library system and strong newspaper and magazine circulations.
More than ever, success follows literacy, Rudd said.
"It's a universal; libraries are the heart of lifelong learning. It's even more important these days because of the vagaries of the job market. People are going to have more jobs in their lifetimes and technology is always pushing ahead.
"You have to be constantly educating yourself to move forward."
Steve Campbell, 817-390-7981
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/26/3691568/texas-cities-are-low-on-annual.html#storylink=cpy
We are very pleased to announce that The Alcon Foundation has just contributed $10,000 to support our work with adult literacy programs. These funds will further our mission of improving the quality and increasing the quantity of adult literacy services in Tarrant County and surrounding areas. We love working with everyone at Alcon and are very grateful for their investment in our community!
The Alcon Foundation, Essilor Vision Foundation and the Kids Vision for Life Coalition present: Kids Vision Fest
Friday, February 3, 2012, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
(This is a student holiday for Fort Worth ISD)
vision screenings, eye exams and glasses
– FREE OF CHARGE –
for children, 5 to 12, who qualify
click to download and print consent form
This is also a great volunteer opportunity if you are looking for a fun way to serve your community. Click here for more information!
Plus educational activities, entertainment, games, giveaways and more
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus
300 Trinity Campus Circle, Fort Worth, TX
(formerly 300 RadioShack Circle)
TO QUALIFY: Free eye exams and glasses will be provided ONLY to children, ages 5 – 12, who need them based on screening results and qualify based on 2 times the 2011- 2012 Federal Poverty Guidelines
IMPORTANT: Students who bring vision referrals from school nurses will be given priority on a first-come, first-serve basis.
ORGANIZATIONS – SCHEDULE YOUR GROUPS IN ADVANCE
Groups that book in advance will be scheduled beginning at 9 a.m. before the doors open to the public. To schedule your group, call Barbara at 972-401-1186 or email bg@kidsvisionforlife.org
The Spelling Bee date has been changed to May 2nd because our original date may coincide with the Texas political primaries.
Please mark your calendars with the NEW date (May 2nd) and get ready for a great evening of fun as we bring together some of the community's most esteemed leaders and best spellers, all to support the important work of the Tarrant Literacy Coalition. If you have not done so already, gather your team together and register for this entertaining and challenging event by contacting Kathryn Thompson today.
Watch for more details...coming soon!
Saturday, March 10, 2012 is the next Metroplex Literacy Conference. This will be an all day training event held at Dallas Baptist University in the Patty & Bo Pilgrim Chapel. The Metroplex Literacy Conference is sponsored by HOPE Literacy, Inc., Dallas Baptist Association, Literacy Connexus, and Tarrant Literacy Coalition. Details coming soon for this full day of workshops and training for ESL, GED, and ABE.
Project BEST (Basic Education & Skills Tutoring) starts back to class on Tuesday and Thursday nights, beginning on January 10th. We hope our students have had a relaxing time with their loved ones over the winter break but we can’t wait to get them back into the classroom. Classes are held each week at the Family Resource Center, 1000-A S. Cherry Lane at the Brewer Alternative Campus in White Settlement from 6-8 p.m. Math and Language Arts are the primary subjects taught, designed to help adults prepare for the GED Exam. If you'd like more information about how YOU can help as a volunteer instructor or tutor, or if you know someone who would benefit from these classes, give us a call at 817-870-0082 or email info@tarrantlit.org
As we welcome Jen, we also say goodbye to Alyssa Yingst, who has worked with the Coalition since August 2009, first as an AmeriCorps VISTA and then as our Program Director. Alyssa has moved back to Ohio to be near her family. We are very grateful for her work on so many Coalition projects and we wish her well as she continues to pursue her passion of service to others.
The Tarrant Literacy Coalition welcomes a new member to our team! Jennifer Paré has joined our team as our newest AmeriCorps VISTA Member. AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a national service program that allows individuals to spend a year in service with a nonprofit organization. Our participation in VISTA is through a cooperative partnership with Cornerstone Assistance Network here in Fort Worth. Jen grew up in Lubbock, TX and is returning to the state after 5 years of studying, working, and traveling around the world. She has studied Psychology and Intercultural Studies focusing on community development efforts. We are excited to have Jen as our newest Program Development Assistant.
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to The McGraw-Hill Companies, Literacy Texas, Atmos Energy, EECU, OmniAmerican Bank, White Settlement ISD Family Resource Center, Catholic Charities Fort Worth, Money Management International, Texas AgriLife, Tarrant Area Food Bank/SNAP, Tarrant County Housing Partnership, Power to Choose, The Women's Center, and United Way 211 for joining us in this wonderful event to help families learn new and better ways to manage their financial resources. Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 11 am to 5 pm at 1000 S. Cherry Lane - hope you'll be there for free hot dogs, great workshops, and fun and games for the whole family!
Project BEST (Basic Education & Skills Tutoring) starts back to class on Tuesday and Thursday nights, beginning on September 1st! Classes are held each week at the Family Resource Center, 1000-A S. Cherry Lane at the Brewer Alternative Campus in White Settlement from 6-8 p.m. Math and reading are the primary subjects taught, designed to help adults prepare for the GED Exam. If you'd like more information about how YOU can help as a volunteer instructor or tutor, or if you know someone who would benefit from these classes, give us a call at 817-870-0082 or email info@tarrantlit.org
The Tarrant Literacy Coalition welcomes a new member to our team! Amy Pickrel has joined our team as our newest AmeriCorps VISTA Member. AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a national service program that allows individuals to spend a year in service with a nonprofit organization. Our participation in VISTA is through a cooperative partnership with Cornerstone Assistance Network here in Fort Worth. Amy's dad was military, so she has lived in many places, but comes to us most recently from Eugene, OR, where she spent a year in graduate school studying linguistics. We are excited to have Amy as our new Program Development Assistant. Welcome back to Texas, Amy!
Have you heard the big news?? Tarrant Literacy Coalition has just been awarded a grant from The McGraw-Hill Companies and Literacy Texas to conduct a FALL FESTIVAL OF FUN AND FINANCE! The festival will be held in White Settlement on Saturday, October 22nd from 11 am to 5 pm and is designed to help families there learn great ways to manage their finances. Atmos Energy and OmniAmerican Bank are also sponsoring this event and we are currently looking for more partners to join us for the day of fun. Let us know if you'd like to get involved - we have lots of ideas to help families manage their resources and we need your help to make this a great day for everyone!
More than 160 iinstructors and program directors who specialize in English as a Second Language will gather in Arlington July 15th and 16th to learn from Glenda Reece, nationally known speaker and author who will be traveling through Texas this summer. First Baptist Church will host this gathering, in conjunction with the Tarrant Literacy Coalition, HOPE Literacy and the Dallas Baptist Association. Sure to be a wonderful learning experience, this event is drawing people from across the Metroplex and beyond! We may have room to squeeze in a few more people. Call our office for more details - 817-870-0082!
Join us on Wednesday, April 27th from 9 to 11:30 am at The Women's Center when we will be celebrating National Volunteer Month. Come learn and share from your fellow literacy professionals as we discuss volunteer engagement. We'll have lots of great information as you participate in round-table discussions, plus a chance to brainstorm with your colleagues on how to recruit, retain, recognize and reward volunteers in order to build your program. Plenty of goodies to eat...and some enticing door prizes will round out the morning. Sign up by calling our office or email ahines@tarrantlit.org Deadline to register is April 22nd!
The THIRD ANNUAL CORPORATE SPELLING BEE was the best bee ever! Many, many thanks to our generous sponsors, our fabulous spellers, our fantastic guests, and our great volunteers who worked countless hours to put it all together. We raised more than $45,000 to improve the quality and increase the quantity of adult literacy services in our community, and we couldn't have done it without the wonderful people of Fort Worth and the surrounding areas. THANK YOU ALL!!
The 2011 Corporate Spelling Bee is just one week away, and 23 teams are out there practicing their words and getting ready to S-P-E-L-L on Tuesday, March 29th! This annual event is going to be our biggest and best ever, with more than 220 spellers and guests in attendance at TCU's Brown-Lupton University Union. Team photos will start at 5:30 p.m., the reception and cash bar will open at 6:00 and dinner will be served promptly at 6:30 p.m. Emcee Jill "JR" Labbe will take the podium at 7:00 to kick-off Round One of the Bee - and look out - because that's when the FUN BEGINS!! If you need more information about the Bee, give us a call at 817-870-0082 or email info@tarrantlit.org
The Amon G. Carter Foundation is paving the way for students who are studying for the GED exam! A recent grant from the Carter Foundation will provide much needed classroom materials for community and faith based adult literacy programs in Tarrant and Parker counties, allowing these men and women to improve their reading, writing and math skills in preparation for the GED exam. Funds will also be used to purchase copies of the Official Practice Test (OPT) for instructors to administer to students prior to them taking the actual exam. The grant will also support Tarrant Literacy Coalition's new GED Student Assistance Fund to help cover the cost of the GED exam for those who are ready to take the test. THANK YOU, AMON CARTER FOUNDATION!
With less than two months to go until our 3rd annual Corporate Spelling Bee, 30 corporate and community sponsors have stepped up to make this the BEST BEE EVER!! Lockheed Martin and Atmos Energy lead the way as our two Honey Bee Sponsors, followed by AllianceTexas - A Development of Hillwood, Benefitree, BNSF Railway, JPS Health Network - Partners Together for Health, Jane and Roger Nober, The T, Texas Christian University and UNT Health Science Center - all Scout Bee sponsors. This year, we have a record-breaking 19 Worker Bee sponsors - Acme Brick Company, Bank of Texas, Kathryn and Lowell Bryan, Cook Children's Health Care System, Ken and Tahita Fulkerson, J.R. and Mark Labbe, Mayor Mike and Rosie Moncrief, OmniAmerican Bank, Omni Fort Worth Hotel, Rotary Club of Fort Worth, Rylander, Clay & Opitz, Tarrant County College District, Teak Tree Capital, Texas Wesleyan University, Trial Lab, Joan Trew of Williams Trew Real Estate Services, United Way of Tarrant County, the University of Texas at Arlington and the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is our exclusive Media Sponsor for the event! Tuesday, March 29th, 6 p.m. at the TCU Brown-Lupton University Union - call our office to find out how you can get YOUR ticket to this fun event! 817-870-0082
We all know that the NFL Superbowl is coming to DFW later this month, but we'll be hosting our very own Superbowl of Adult Education on January 20th in conjunction with Tarrant County College, to bring awareness of all of the great continuing education, job training and adult ed programs available through TCC's campuses and outreach centers. ESL and adult literacy instructors are encouraged to attend this FREE event, which will "kick-off" at 9 am. Every quarter of the game will provide exciting information for students and instructors alike - and halftime will include all your favorite gametime snacks! Call for more details: 817-870-0082.
GREAT NEWS! Kathryn Bryan has just agreed to chair the 2011 Corporate Spelling Bee. Kathryn was a member of the Fort Worth Rotary Revolvers at this year's Bee and now she's agree to take on the leadership of the upcoming Bee, which will be held at TCU's Brown Lupton Center. We are SO excited!!
You can make a life-changing difference by investing just a few hours a week of your time. Spending time with an adult who needs help with reading, writing or language skills can change the future for an entire family. Contact our office today to find out how. 817-870-0082
On October 14, 2010, the Coalition hosted a Health Literacy Forum at UNT Health Science Center. Contact the Tarrant Literacy Coalition for more information about health literacy resources.
Passed by the US House of Representatives and supported by the National Coalition for Literacy, this week has been set aside to raise public awareness of the issue of literacy in our communities, assist adult learners in need of literacy services, and support increased access to adult education and family literacy programs.
Registration for this class filled up quickly - but please remember that we ARE taking names for the waiting list...and you still have a chance to participate. Contact Kathryn Thompson to get your name on the list.
There are no funding announcements currently available.
We are very pleased to announce that The Alcon Foundation has just contributed $10,000 to support our work with adult literacy programs. These funds will further our mission of improving the quality and increasing the quantity of adult literacy services in Tarrant County and surrounding areas. We love working with everyone at Alcon and are very grateful for their investment in our community!
P.O. Box 470744 Fort Worth, TX 76147 • Phone: (817) 870-0082
Copyright © 2012
