Our learners: Neighbors, co-workers, and friends.
Our learners are adult men and women of many ages, nationalities, economic and social backgrounds living in far northwest suburban Chicago. They are just like you and me. Trying to live, work and become active members of the community, sometimes struggling along the way. But the good news is that learning to read, write, speak and understand English better is possible and the results are exponential.
Each learner has their own unique literacy needs.
- Some want to know how to fill out employment applications.
- Some want to improve their work skills.
- Some want to read to their children.
- Some want to communicate with teachers.
- Some want to understand their doctors.
Each learner is individually paired with a tutor so they can meet their personal goals.
A “typical” adult learner in the program in 2022 was a 50-year-old married Hispanic mother of two children. She was from Mexico where she received a high school diploma. She lived in Elgin, was employed full time, but her family income was less than $30,000 a year. She met with her tutor one-on-one to improve her English, attending 26 hours of instruction. She had participated in the program for 6 years. She was able to understand common vocabulary on familiar subjects and interpret a variety of simple life and work-related forms. She could also understand simple written instructions as well as understand basic terms in common computer applications. Based on assessments, her Reading skills were at the High Intermediate ESL level.
Learner Achievements in Fiscal Year 2022
- 8 improved their score on a standardized reading test.
- 3 met a work-based student goal.
- 11 attained consumer skills.
- 5 increased their involvement in their children’s educational activities.
Learner Statistics
- 32 adults were tutored in the volunteer literacy program.
