Charity Presentation Example

In Favor of the Capital Area Literacy Coalition

General Information Founded in 1985

Executive Director: Dr. Lois Bader (also literacy professor at MSU)

Mission: The Capital Area Literacy Coalition helps people from the Lansing area of any age learn to read, write and speak English so that they may become self-sufficient.

Many of this charity’s clients are people from other countries that are not well-versed in English and cannot afford a tutor or to take classes

Located at: 1028 East Saginaw Street

Lansing, MI 48906

What CALC Provides Free one-on-one

instruction reading and writing for those struggling in schools, at-risk teens, and adults

Tutoring to migrant and refugee families (English not their first language)

Tutors must commit to meet with their student for 2 hours a week for a period of at least 6 months

CALC Goals

Increase workplace literacy

Help at-risk youth

Develop family literacy

Provide for personal improvement and achievement

Create a collaborative literacy model for businesses, schools, community agencies, and higher education

How do they plan to accomplish these

goals? Recruiting students and tutors

Providing tutors with training

Matching tutors and students and monitoring their progress

Conducting research for program improvement and evaluation

Diagnosis of students

Collaborating with other agencies and schools

My Time at CALC I was a tutor there a few

summers ago

Paired with a refugee from Afghanistan

29 years old

Could speak English well, but wasn’t able to read/write

Couldn’t read her own mail, fill out a job application, read road signs, etc.

Her goal: To be able to read a children’s book to her kids at bedtime

I helped her to improve these skills so that she was able to perform day-to-day tasks in her life

Why is Literacy Important?

Worldwide: According to UNICEF, “Nearly a billion people will enter the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names and 2/3 of them are women.”

Being illiterate leads to other problems:

Over 70% of inmates in America’s prisons cannot read above a 4th grade level

2/3 of American students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare

Low literacy costs $73 million per year in terms of health care costs. Another study at Pfizer put the cost much higher.

Why is Literacy Important in Lansing?

According to 1999 National Adult Literacy Survey, 20% (40,000 adults) in the Greater Lansing area are functionally illiterate, which means they can’t do things like:

Complete a Social Security application

Read a pay stub

Understand the directions on a bottle of medicine

Read the instructions for a microwave dinner

Success Stories of CALC

“K”

"K" was a victim of domestic abuse. Her reading skills were low. Her self-confidence was even lower. She needed to improve her reading so that she could do better at work and be able to read to her children.

"K" worked very hard. She rarely missed a tutoring session and she always did her homework. She and her tutor worked on menu planning, reading recipes, filling out insurance forms, making notes in her daughter's baby book, writing letters, and using the dictionary. She opened a checking and savings account and learned how to keep track of her spending. She learned how to use a computer.

"K's" reading has gone up five grade levels. She reports that she is now able to read to her daughter and feel good about it. She can read her court papers and reads books on her own for enjoyment. Her tutor reports that she is making tremendous strides in her confidence level. As of this writing, "K" is still working hard, hoping to make even greater improvements in herself and in her life.

“L”

"L" is from Croatia. She came to us because she wanted help in passing her citizenship test. Her daughter and her family still live in Croatia and will be eligible to come to the U.S. when "L" attains her citizenship. "L" works full time as a housekeeper at a local hospital. She cleans houses for extra money.

"L" has been working with a tutor for two hours twice a week since May. She studies in her free time. She carries a notebook with her at all times. In it, she keeps a record and definition of each new word she learns.

Her reading level has gone from the 3rd grade level to the 8th grade level. She has learned to write in cursive. She has covered all the material necessary for her citizenship test which she will take in a few months. Most importantly, she looks forward to next summer when her daughter and family will be able to join her in America.

My Personal Ties with this Issue

I am an English teacher and a firm believer that literacy is essential to live in America

I also used to work at another tutoring center in which I work with students with dyslexia; it allowed me to realize that reading doesn’t come naturally

I believe that many of us take reading for granted and don’t realize that without reading, it would be hard to get by