Cheers to Literacy: Join the Fun.

James O. Rodgers - Atlanta Journal Constitution Guest Columnist on Literacy

James O. Rodgers is a Trustee for Literacy Action, Inc.

We All Pay for Area's Low Literacy Rate

BYLINE:    James O. Rodgers

For the AJC
DATE: September 29, 2012
PUBLICATION: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (GA)
EDITION: Main; Atlanta Journal-The Atlanta Constitution
SECTION: News
PAGE: A13

Every day, over one million adult residents of metro Atlanta enjoy the
benefits of being highly educated and highly literate.

Every day, nearly one million adult residents of metro Atlanta struggle with
simple tasks.

If you are reading this article, you probably belong to the first group. It
may surprise you to know that 900,000 of our fellow citizens belong to the
second group. Atlanta has one of the highest percentages of low literate
adults in the country (nearly 20% of adults). We point to our high-literacy
rate with pride, but choose to ignore our equally large low-literacy rate.
That number is staggering. It is unacceptable. It is shameful.

There are two typical reactions when adult literacy is discussed: "I don't
care about adults. They had their chance" or "Adult literacy is important,
but we don't have the resources to do everything."

As a result, we focus on specific programs that aggressively address early
childhood, or even kindergarten through college education. This piecemeal
approach overlooks the big picture. Literacy must be addressed as a
cradle-to-grave issue. Yes, it includes early childhood literacy, school age
(K through college) literacy, and workplace literacy at a minimum. But adult
and family literacy cannot be overlooked. Children don't grow up in a
program. They grow up in families and communities.

Adult and family literacy is essential for two reasons. On the front end,
the biggest predictor of a child's success in school is the presence of
adults (parents and relatives) who read to them from ages 1 to 4. On the
back end, thousands of jobs go unfilled in Georgia because our citizens do
not have the basic literacy skills to qualify.

In addition, low literacy among adults is directly correlated with most of
our most pernicious social ills, including persistent poverty, repetitive
incarceration, dependency on government support and homelessness. All of
this has a negative impact on the economic vitality of our region. We may be
tempted to say that low literacy is "their problem." But in the end,
"Everybody pays for the problem of low literacy."

Cradle-to-grave literacy (the big picture approach) is a hard concept to
hold in your brain. Yet, I believe that it must be the way we approach
literacy for Georgia. Literacy is not simply an education issue. It is an
economic, social and policy issue.

The desired outcome of all efforts in the "literacy movement" is a much
improved system, a pipeline that works for everybody and is more efficient
and effective at producing fully functioning, self-sufficient, work-ready
continuous-learning citizens. It is important that we work diligently at
every level of the pipeline, from early learning to adult and workplace.

The return on investment in this process is not just educational attainment.
It includes reduction in social crimes; lower dependency on government
largesse, economic vitality, reputation for excellence and an opportunity to
redirect public funds to other pressing problems.

Cheers to Literacy!

OCTOBER 23, 2012
6pm - 9pm

Red Brick Brewery
Atlanta, GA

We are excited to announce our spectacular Fall event, 

"Cheers to Literacy"! 

Literacy Action has teamed up with Red Brick Brewery, right here in Atlanta, to provide a night of great brews, great music, for a great cause.  

Did you know Metro Atlanta has nearly 900,000 low-literate adults?  Imagine being unable to read a bus sign, understanding a prescription, or incapable of reading to your children; that is the crisis so many adults face on a daily basis.  Literacy Action is dedicated to arming low-literate adults with the tools they need to become self-sufficient individuals, parents, employees, and citizen. 

Join us as we raise a glass to ending adult low-literacy in Metro Atlanta.

The purchase of a ticket to this event gets you:

• Red Brick Brewery craft beer;

• Food fresh from Poor Huey's hot dog cart (carnivores & veggies all welcome);

• Ear-appeasing music from Under the Porch;

• One-of-a-kind Literacy Action pint glass.

$25 - Advance

$30 - Door

*cash, check, debit/credit card accepted*

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE!
*If purchasing tickets online, note CHEERS in the comments section.*

Or call (404) 303-7797
Or email abby@msquaredpr.com

     

Big thanks to M-Squared Public Relations

for helping LAI organize this event!

Literacy Action Celebrates Literacy Month!

We are back on the blog and ready to go!  

We hope you enjoyed the last blog series of "How Maddy Reads It", as you followed the journey of our intern, Maddy.  It was so great to see a young member of the community feel passionate about low-literacy and the impact it has on all of us.

September is literacy month, dear friends.  Over the next two weeks, we will be blogging about our adventures in advocating for our students, our cause, and our community.  Also, you will follow the travels  of our "Save a Cup. Give a Hand Up." mug.  We invite you to join our journey.  

With over 800,000 low-literate adults in Metro-Atlanta, our efforts cannot be contained to our teachers and staff.  It must include YOU.  Join us in stopping the cycle of intergenerational low-literacy.  Give families a chance to thrive.  Give kids the tools they need to succeed - Literate parents, grandparents, guardians, siblings, and friends. 

You have the power to push this movement forward!

Purchase your mug and show us your support!  $25 during Literacy Month! 

Save a Cup. Give a Hand Up.

How Maddy Reads It-Part 4

How Maddy Reads It

     Hello everyone!  Today is my last day here at Literacy Action, Inc. The past eight weeks have been an incredible learning experience for me, and my time here is something I will value for years to come.

     Right now, I am preparing to start my sophomore year of college, and will soon be heading back to Washington, D.C. One of the most exciting things about heading back to school is that it is an election year. Not only will the 2012 Presidential Election be my very first time voting, but I will be able to live in the middle of all the political excitement, amongst all the drama. When November comes along, I will wait in line and vote in the poll booths just like every able and willing American should.

     I’ve known since I was a little kid that when I turned eighteen, I would be able to vote. It’s a right that comes with age, and a privilege that we Americans hold dear. But, if I didn’t have the ability to read, write, and use computers effectively, voting could be a challenge. The day I turned eighteen I ordered my new adult license and registered to vote online. It wasn’t a long or tedious process, but it required me to read the forms and answer multiple questions. And since I attend school outside of Georgia, I had to print and fill out an absentee ballot, which was another long form requiring good literacy and writing skills.

LAI Commencement Ceremony 2012

     We as Americans have a great privilege in living in a democratic society, where every voice counts. However, we as Americans also have a duty to properly inform ourselves, make a well thought out decision, and vote on every election possible. I rely on reading to inform myself of the latest issues and debates occurring between the candidates.  But, if not everyone holds the basic skills needed to be effectively involved in the elections, then we, as Americans, are not doing the best we can to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to educate themselves is not only beneficial to the individual; it’s beneficial to the family, community, and nation.

     I’m leaving LAI with a better appreciation for the education I’m receiving, and the opportunities I have been given. Education is a basic right. Whether they are 16, 25, or 82, everyone deserves the chance to better themselves through basic literacy skills.

This election comes at critical time in America’s history. When I take my turn to vote, I know that I’ll be voting for those who can’t, in hopes that we will work to ensure that one day everyone can.

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

How Maddy Reads It-Part 2

 

How Maddy Reads It

      Hello again! I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July. The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays, as it makes me so proud to live in a country where opportunity awaits us at every door, no matter who we are. It also makes me think about uniting together with one common goal, for the betterment of our community.  That’s the premise of Literacy Action Inc.’s new campaign, Save a Cup. Give a Hand Up. Last week, LAI launched this campaign to help bring adult low-literacy to the forefront as a major issue in our community.

     I started thinking about this money in coffee terms, and I realized that a $10 donation a month would be equal to only two Starbucks coffees! So if twice a month I sacrificed a Soy Chai Latte and donated the ten dollars, I could be providing the students and teachers at LAI with stuff way more valuable than a cup of coffee. Those ten dollars can provide teachers with markers and pencils for class, or help the staff get folders and labels to build student portfolios and track their progress.  It will even provide testing to 5 students!

      I think this new campaign is a great idea, and I’m excited to see where it goes!  The population of metro Atlanta in 2012 is 5,475,213. Imagine if half of those people donated ten dollars a month for a whole year. That would be over 328 million dollars! And while in all likelihood that will not happen, it just goes to show that every little bit matters. So I encourage everyone to think about this the next time they’re buying a coffee, a pack of gum, or a candy bar. Could that small amount of change effect big change in your community?

You can get your very own Literacy Action mug by donating $100 one time, or $10 a month for a year.

Click here to join the Save a Cup. Give a Hand Up. campaign!

Once you join, visit our social media sites with a “Show Us Your Mug”!