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Bridging Cultures
Karen McGrath has been a volunteer tutor with Literacy Pittsburgh for about five years. She meets with a group of six to eight women for two hours each week to practice English conversation skills. Karen explains that her students can read and write in English but “talking and understanding other people can be difficult.” For her, the best reward comes when her students realize they can speak, understand, and think in English. Karen traveled to other countries in her job and says, “I know exactly how they feel.”
“Each woman talks about her life and family during each session,” Karen explains. “We talk about anything and everything. The women want to learn culture as well as the language.”
The women not only learn about American culture, but also learn from each other and experience Japanese, Chinese, Colombian, and Spanish culture. Karen explains, “They have gained self-confidence and are happy to ‘belong here’.” She invited her students to write about their experiences and Enriquela and Ana shared their thoughts. Read more.
Strategic Plan Update: Relevant
In the October newsletter, we introduced the overarching goals of our 2020-2023 strategic plan. Today, we are going to delve into the first of three pillars, Relevant.
Goal: Literacy Pittsburgh will be an important part of Pittsburgh’s talent development system.
Strategies:
- Develop programming and services that accelerate student’s skill-building, education, and career development aligned to career pathways.
- Develop and sustain strategic, cross-sector partnerships that enable seamless student support, career credentialing, and employment.
- Develop blended instructional programming and capacity that advance digital literacy of adult learners.
- Promote the agency’s role and track record as an essential part of the workforce development system: an agency that leads, that learners trust and employers need. Read more.
A Fast Track to Success
We know that job loss has impacted many families and that those without a high school diploma have suffered disproportionate losses. We are committed to making sure these men and women know that we are here and can help them gain their credentials and take that next step toward a stable, family-sustaining career. In September, thanks to the generous support of the BNY Mellon Foundation, we launched an awareness campaign for our High School Equivalency Exam Preparation program. Keisha, a current GED student, recorded an advertisement and we are using a variety of methods to get the word out. We thank Keisha for sharing her story and enthusiasm so that other students can find their own path to success with Literacy Pittsburgh.
Giving Back
At this time of year, we look for ways to help those less fortunate than ourselves. The holidays are all about giving and if you want to get into the spirit of the season, please consider including Literacy Pittsburgh in your holiday traditions!
A charitable donation isn’t the kind of holiday gift that will end up on a shelf or in a closet in a few months — it will have long-lasting effects in creating better lives for those in our community. Literacy Pittsburgh has many ways you can support our students at this time of year, including Amazon Wish Lists, Target Circle, Give Big Pittsburgh, and more! Read more.
Digital Literacy Fellow Named
Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, Literacy Pittsburgh has continued to improve its offerings to make our students ready and relevant to area employers, higher education, and training programs. One skill set that has become especially important is digital literacy.
In September, Literacy Pittsburgh named Sara Cole as Digital Literacy Fellow for the agency. Sara's role is to increase technology use across the agency by infusing instruction with approaches that intentionally encourage digital literacy to help advance student goals. Read more.
Giving Thanks
This month we reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives. We asked some of our students to share their thoughts about gratitude. We hope their answers bring you joy and optimism!
What are you most thankful for in your life?
- I’m thankful for God, my family, and Literacy Pittsburgh.
- I came here and met my friends.
- All the people who make me feel happy, free, and important in this world.
- I am thankful for having great support from family and friends. Read more.
Student Spotlight: Kyeongmin
“A year ago, I quit my job, got married, and moved to Pittsburgh from Korea,” English language learner Kyeongmin explains. “Everything I faced was new. I no longer belonged somewhere, and I had to start living in a new place with a different language and culture. At the time, thanks to Literacy Pittsburgh, I felt I belonged to Pittsburgh, felt relieved, and felt more comfortable with Pittsburgh and the U.S.”
Kyeongmin came to the United States last year with her husband who is studying at Carnegie Mellon. She enrolled in a volunteer-led class to improve her English language skills with a goal of continuing her own education. Read more.
Meet our Staff
Jim Grabiak
Jefferson-Mon Valley Program Coordinator
Congratulations to Jim Grabiak for winning our Staff Kudos recognition last month!
Jim helps to coordinate tutors and students to form classes that help contextualize students’ goals and provide them with needed resources. He is inspired by our students and tutors because they are always pushing through so much and often have the kindest attitudes. Fluent in Spanish, Jim spent time living in Madrid but still chooses Pittsburgh as his favorite place to live. The best advice he has been given is to be yourself!
Did You Know?
Nearly 100 students signed up for GED prep classes last month.
