Kenosha Literacy Council Annual Report 2014-2015

Friends of Kenosha Literacy Council, THANK YOU! We are grateful for your support in the 2014-15 year. With your help, we continued to expand programming and partnerships throughout the community to help meet the needs of adult learners and their families. We are changing lives everyday! With this annual report, the Kenosha Literacy Council (KLC) is pleased to share our work and the people, programs, and partners that contributed to another year of addressing literacy in Kenosha County. KLC helped nearly 600 adult learners representing 40 different countries learn to read, write and speak in English so that they were better able to achieve financial independence, good health and greater involvement in our community. Over 200 volunteers helped as trained literacy tutors, class instructors and board members. Our major fundraisers, Laps for Literacy and Corporate Spelling Bee, were both a great success. Plus, we added an exciting celebration of National Literacy Awareness Month. We held several events throughout the month of September to build awareness and raise funds. Collaborations with organizations such as the Kenosha Public Library, Wisconsin Health Literacy, and the Kenosha Art Association allowed us to continue to spread our important message. Plus, the KLC book club, bringing together adult learners, volunteer tutors, and community members was more active than ever before!

We enthusiastically enter the 2015-16 year eager to celebrate our 50th Anniversary and ready to write the next

chapter of KLC’s history. We hope that you will read this report with the same pride that we have in reflecting on a successful year. We invite you to take a moment to learn more about the Literacy Council’s

accomplishments, programs, learners and volunteers by visiting our website and/or joining us at an event!

Looking forward,

Cheryl Hernandez Vince Incandela

Executive Director Board President

OUR MISSION

Established in 1965, the Kenosha Literacy Council is a

nonprofit agency dedicated to providing and

promoting English literacy education to adults with

the assistance of trained volunteers.

Literacy is a fundamental ingredient in building strong

families, a good economy and a healthy community.

Adults need to know how to read, write, and speak in

English so they can participate in the workforce and

earn wages that support their families and

communities.

“I go to the Kenosha Literacy Council to learn to speak and write English. I have learned a lot of English. Now I can make an appointment with the doctor for my children. At parent-teacher conferences, I can understand everything the teacher says. I don’t need a translator. I am very happy because when I need something, I can try myself. It isn’t perfect, but I am trying.”

~ KLC Leaner Silvia

MEET KLC LEARNER OF THE YEAR

MARIA DEWSBURY

Hello, my name is Maria Dewsbury and I am from Spain. I have lived

in the United States for 20 years and in Kenosha for the past 12

years. I work 3rd shift for the Kenosha News. Even though I’m a

citizen, even though I’ve lived here for many years, and even though

I have a job, I found that I was still struggling to communicate well. I

decided I had to improve my education! I began classes at the

Kenosha Literacy Council about 2 years ago and it has been the best

decision I’ve ever made. I attended tutoring and classes. One class I

took is the ELL Civics class. This class is so important because, even

though I’m an American citizen, I learned so much about the

community! In civics class we learned about topics like schools, healthcare, banking, government and more. We

used computers in the class and went on field trips. I completed the Literacy at Work class as well. In this class

we learned about using the computer to search and apply for jobs. We also created resumes and cover

letters. Right now, I attend the book club where we read a book and hold a discussion at the end. We

learn new vocabulary and practice conversation skills. We learn about each person’s perspective. Also,

I am working with my tutor to get my GED. I want to get my GED so I can go to school at Gateway.

The skills that I’m learning at KLC will help me achieve my goals. All of this education has

helped give me confidence and feel good about myself! I thank all of the KLC staff and

especially the volunteer tutors who give their time to help us learn!

FACTS & FIGURES

The Kenosha Literacy Council served 550 adult learners representing 40 different

countries in 2014-2015.

63% of learners who participated in at least 60 hours of instruction advanced one (1) educational functioning level.

36% of learners who

participated at KLC for more than six months, found employment and/or enrolled at Gateway Technical College

95% citizenship students

passed practice test.

MEET KLC LEARNER OF THE YEAR

SUSANA JAMAICA Hello, my name is Susana. I am from Mexico. In Mexico I was a lawyer. I

have been living in the United States for 2 years. I want to speak, read, and

write English fluently because I would like to study to be a paralegal and

raise my son here with a better education. I have been in the Conversation

Class, the Book Club, Tutoring, and the Civics Class. In conversation class

and the Book Club I learned how to express myself without using a

translator. Because of the Civics class, I know how to talk to the doctor, the

teachers, and the people at the store. Also, I learned to read important

notes from school and labels for medicine. Before in my life, I was always

told “You can’t do it!” and “You’re not good enough!” When I walked into

the Literacy Council it was the opposite. I heard for the first time “You can do it!” When I left my first class, I felt

happy because at the KLC they don’t criticize me for our how I speak. I felt comfortable there. Before I studied

at the KLC, I felt scared to talk to people. But now, I feel confident talking at my son’s school and at the stores.

Now, I stand up for myself. It’s like I have wings. The KLC gave me all the tools that I need to build my life

here. Recently, I got a job at Calumet Meats. I am still able to attend classes at the KLC to continue to

improve my skills.

The Kenosha Literacy Council offers a wide variety of programs to help adults improve their literacy skills so that they may better achieve goals specific to their needs: to read to their children or help with homework, to fill out a job application, to understand finances,

or speak with a doctor about a health concern.

ELL CIVICS PROGRAM In KLC’s ELL (English Language Learner) Civics classes experiential leaning methods are used to explore important

topics like public schools, health, finance, safety, housing and government. Students improve their English while

also learning about the community. Hands-on activities, field trips and guest speakers play an important role in the

ELL Civics classes. While learning about health literacy, for example, students do research to create a Medical

Services Guide, learn about blood pressure and cholesterol from a registered nurse, practice exercise led by fitness

experts, learn about healthy eating from a nutritionist and tour a local hospital. They are learning much more than

how to read; they are learning to become leaders in their families and in our community!

44 adult learners participated in 38 weeks of instructions Post test scores for each module saw an increase Based on pre and post test scores, students made the most gains in the Banking and

Healthcare modules

SMALL GROUP CLASSES

A variety of small group classes give students the opportunity to practice

English conversation and vocabulary while learning about important topics.

For instance, Literacy @ Work sessions focus on building job readiness and

computer skills. Students in KLC’s book club read novels and

prepare for a community book discussion. Conversation

classes provide English Language Learners with the opportunity to practice conversation

with their peers. Women in Focus workshop sessions bring in guest speakers and allow

students to learn about important community topics. Writing class participants even

created a newsletter to share with family and friends.

CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM

KLC’s eight week citizenship class is offered several times a year. Students learn about

the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship, the N-400 application form and the

application process. Students prepare for the

civics and English tests that are required for

naturalization. They also learn strategies for

communication in the interview and resources for

citizenship study. We are proud to report that 95% of the students that

complete the class are prepared to pass the citizenship test.

TUTORING PROGRAMS

Kenosha Literacy Council’s tutoring programs include drop-in tutoring and one- on-one tutoring. Drop-in tutoring is held at the Council four days a week. Adult learners are matched with volunteer tutors and

work on individualized education plans. In the one-on-one tutoring program a volunteer tutor is paired with an adult learner and works with them weekly, at a library or other public place. Adult learners are able to build better practical English reading, writing and speaking skills in these personalized programs. Adult learners participated in 8,331 hours of tutoring instruction

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are the heart of the Kenosha Literacy Council! In 2014-15, 214 volunteers

gave over 7,500 hours of their time to help adult learners reach their goals. Our

volunteers are changing lives everyday! Five tutor training sessions were held

throughout the year for new tutors. Each new tutor was also required to complete

online modules as part of the training. Two tutor in-service opportunities were held

for current volunteers. The estimated value of volunteer time for 2014 was $22.14 per

hour. KLC’s volunteers provided nearly $175,000 worth of service to our community! KLC would not be able to

provide the services it does without the assistance of volunteers.

COMMUNITY & PARTNERS

Community Partnerships included: Community Action Agency, ELCA Outreach Center,

Gateway Technical College, Kenosha Chamber of Commerce Non-profit Group, Kenosha

Public Library, Kenosha Art Association, Kenosha Community Media, Kenosha Unified

School District, Leadership Kenosha, and others!

2014-15 Funders included: CDBG Grant, Kenosha Community Foundation, Kenosha

Community Foundation-Woman’s Fund, Kloss Foundation, Rotary Foundation of Kenosha

West, Lions Foundation, Mary Frost Ashley Foundation, United Way of Kenosha County,

Wisconsin Literacy, Wisconsin Technical College System, and many kind individual donors.

Kenosha Literacy Council also received generous support from many local businesses

including: All-Star Honda, Andrea & Orendorff, Bradshaw Medical, Copy Center,

Dental Associates, Dooley & Associates, Express Employment Professionals,

Frontida, Fulmer Dentistry, Gateway Technical College, HarborPark Jazz & Blues

Fest, Huck Reality, Kenosha Kingfish, Kenosha News, Kenosha Unified School

District, Kenosha Visiting Nurses Association, Kiddie Care Akademie, Knight-

Barry Title Company, LMI Packaging Solutions, Ocean Spray, Platinum

Systems, ReMax Elite, Sanders Painting, Sandy’s Poppers, ULINE, Valeri

Agency, Wilson Dow Group, Wisconsin Literacy, and many more.

Thank you to all those who supported KLC’s fundraising efforts in 2014-2015!

THE LITERACY COUNCIL BY THE NUMBERS

Thanks to successful fundraising efforts and the support of many members of the community, Kenosha Literacy Council continued to establish a more secure financial future in 2014-2015.

Kenosha Literacy Council, Inc. 2419 63rd Street Kenosha, WI 53143 Phone: 262.654.7323 www.kenoshalit.org Find us on Facebook

Staff:

Cheryl Hernandez, Executive Director Cassie Christianson, Program Coordinator

Board of Directors:

Vince Incandela, President Ellen Melyon, Vice President

Tracey Pelishek, Treasurer Daphne Ursu, Secretary

Ashleigh Henrichs John Hogan

Chris Isaacson Bob Johnson

Rosanna Molinaro Rolly Peckus

Alicia Schmitz Ron Stevens JoEllyn Storz