How Maddy Reads It-Part 3

How Maddy Reads It

      Hey, friends! It’s the second week of the campaign, Save a Cup. Give a Hand Up., and I am really excited about it! You’ve probably noticed that we’re talking about this new campaign all over the Internet!  Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, our blog, and our website are all busy with ‘Save a Cup’ updates and daily photos! This campaign is all about social media, and spreading the word through a multitude of different sites and resources. We are even encouraging everyone who participates to snap a “show us your mug photo” of themselves with their new Literacy Action Inc. mug and post it online! Over the past decade, the internet has become one of the main sources for information and communication for people around the world. It’s how families pay their bills, students register for classes, friends communicate, jobs are found, videos are posted, and lives are shared. I bet you’d be surprised to find that, even in this day in age, there is a large group of people here in Atlanta who have never even seen the Internet.

I was sitting in a Computer 1 class just the other week. This class is for LAI students who have little to no experience with computers, and are looking to gain the basic and daily functions of a computer. I was fortunate enough to be in the particular class where the 12 adult students opened internet explorer for the first time!  Many of them were very excited and eager to explore all the web had to offer.   Nevertheless, some were confused, still unable to grasp the concept of the World Wide Web. 

As a college student, the internet is absolutely vital to each and every aspect of my daily life. I use it to register, to read assignments, to check updates from my professors, and to even take tests. The internet is how I make doctor’s appointments at the student clinic when I’m sick, and it’s how I apply for campus jobs and internships. So where would I be without my knowledge of computers? That’s a reality I haven’t had to face. For some students here at LAI, it’s an everyday struggle.

My hope for the Save a Cup, Give a Hand Up campaign is that it further raises awareness and a sense of urgency to the problem of adult low-literacy. By the use of social media and the internet, I hope that this campaign reaches out to people across the city, state, and nation. So, don’t forget to support the effort to end low-literacy by purchasing a LAI mug and posting a photo of you and your mug onto Facebook or Twitter for everyone to see!

http://www.literacyaction.org