Contact LR/RI- 

Bulletin Archives

LR/RI home

Swearer Center home

 

LR/RI produces a bulletin roughly every two weeks in order to inform area practitioners of news, events, and calls for participation and also as a forum for posing questions, issues and discussion topics. The current bulletin is posted below. To read previous bulletins, go to Bulletin Archives.



June 8, 2004

Bulletin #182
 

Dear Colleagues, 

Calls for participation, employment, funding, and conference and workshop opportunities, online and other resources.  To post information, please contact LR/RI or leave a message (401-863-2839). 

Janet Isserlis 
____________________________________________________________

NOTICES


Maintain support for the National Institute for Literacy,  the only federal agency dedicated to adult literacy and language learning.  If you've used the LINCS website, participated in any of its lists, etc., please make your voice heard:  To learn more about the critical effort to preserve NIFL, go to http://savenifl.org/

If you can, be in Washington: National Institute for Literacy (NIFL)Advisory Board meeting:Ý
This notice sets forth the schedule and a summary of the agenda for an upcoming meeting of the NIFL Advisory Board. Notice of this meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Individuals who need accommodations for a disability in order to attend the meeting (e.g., interpreting services, assistive listening devices, or materials in alternative format) should notify Liz Hollis at (202) 233-2072 no later than June 9. We will attempt to meet requests for accommoda-tions after this date but cannot guarantee their availability. The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Open sessions - June 16, from 8 am to 5 p.m, The Watergate Hotel, 2650 Virginia Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. Closed sessions - June 16, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., June 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and June 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  information: Liz Hollis, Special Assistant to the Director; NIFL, 1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730, Washington, DC 20006; telephone (202) 233-2072; ehollis@nifl.gov.ÝÝ

The Board is established under section 242 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, P.L. 105-220 (20 U.S.C. 9252). The Board consists of ten individuals appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Board advises and makes recommendations to the Interagency Group, composed of the Secretaries of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services, which administers the National Institute for Literacy. The Interagency Group considers the Board 's recommendations in planning the goals of the Institute and in implementing any programs to achieve those goals. Öthe Board performs these functions: (a) makes recommendations concerning the appointment of the Director and the staff of the Institute; (b) provides independent advice on operation of the Institute; and (c) receives reports from the Interagency Group and the Institute's Director.Ý
The Boardís meeting will focus on the Institute's role in meeting the nation's literacy needs. The meeting will be composed of small group discussions between Board members and representatives of national organizations with an interest and investment in literacy, including education and workforce development organizations, foundations, and business, and learner organizations. During the small group discussions, the Board will also discuss the Institute's future work and conduct other Board business as necessary.

On June 16, the meeting will be closed from 5 - 6:30 p.m. to review the applications of candidates for the position of permanent director for the Institute. On June 17 and 18., the meeting will be closed to the public to interview candidates for the position of Executive Director. The review of candidates' applications, candidate interviews and subsequent discussions will touch upon matters that would likely disclose information of a personal nature where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personnel privacy. The discussion may be held in closed session under exemptions 2 and 6 of the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 USC 552b(c)(2) and (6). A summary of the activities at the closed session and related matters that are informative to the public and consistent with the policy of 5 U.S.C. 552b will be available to the public within 14 days. Records are kept of all Advisory Board proceedings and are available for public inspection at the National Institute for Literacy, 1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730, Washington, DC 20006, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.



ESOL share  ESOL share Thursday, June 10th.  2:00 PM at the Genesis Center, 620 Potters Avenue, Providence 
Staff from The Genesis Center will present a portion of the workshop that they gave at the Adult Education Conference. The workshop is entitled "Projects that Work". The presenters will describe and show samples from successful projects that they have done in their own ESOL classrooms. Projects are suitable for beginning through inter-mediate level adult ESOL students. The presentation will be approximately one hour in length and will include time for questions. Presenters are Carol Hartmann Rabbitt, Michele Rajotte, Deborah Venator and Nancy Fritz.
Learn to Speak KhmerÝ This class is FREE for anyone all ages who are interested to learn Khmer (Cambodian) language. Class will start on June 22nd and runs on Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8 p.m. 125 Pocasset Ave., Providence.  For information, please  contact Molly Soum 462-6250


Many thanks to all who contributed to the Adult Education conference last month - participants, presenters, organizers.  If you have an evaluation form, please fax it to 863-3094, or mail it to LR/RI at PO Box 1974, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912.  Your input helped us shape this year's conference and will be invaluable in helping us plan for 2005.Ý

ELCIVICS share Thursday, June 17 at 1:00 pm at the Genesis Center - a new monthly discussion group around EL CIVICS questions, curricula and related concerns, open to all.

Adult Education and Literacy System Action Plan - read about it, get involved:
This web site will be used to share meeting dates, agendas, and minutes for all teams, allowing all interested parties to particpate, show up, or follow the process. http://www.ripolicy.org/literacy/
Governor Carcieri created the Adult Literacy Task Force to develop an integrated, high-quality adult literacy system. The Task Force has embarked on a participatory planning process that will draw in the expertise of the adult education community in the state and draw on best-practices nationally to envision a system to better meet the needs of Rhode Islanders. Expanding opportunities for adults without the literacy skills to access good jobs or higher education now has the direct involvement of the Governor. This creates a long-awaited window of opportunity to do the difficult work of system building. The Governor and the General Assembly stepped up to the plate and delivered $1.4 million in new state money for adult literacy as part of the 2003 Jobs Initiative and the Governor created the task force.

1. System Objectives, Elements, and Governance working group (Team 2 on Action Plan)

Contact: Judy Titzel   judy@ripolicy.org

2. Professionalizing Instruction working group

Contact: Bob Mason   ride1555@ride.ri.us

3. Participant Assessment working group 

4. Program Quality and Performance Measures



State Adult Education Conference - Thursday, April 22, 2004. To register for the conference, please contact LVA-RI (401) 861-0815, or email janet_isserlis@brown.edu. The registration fee is $20 per person, and scholarships are available.  Updated information at
http://www.brown.edu/lrri/conference04.html

The Children's Museum is open for free on the first Sunday of each month.  Families can play, learn and have fun together in the Museum's hands-on exhibits, all free of charge.  This is sponsored by CVS/Pharmacy.Ý For information call 401-273-KIDS. Held at 100 South Street, Providence.ÝÝ


call for papers: 
The National Even Start Association and the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy at Penn State University Announce a Call for Papers for Family Literacy Forum  A Special Issue on Research in Family Literacy Manuscripts due July 12, 2004
Family Literacy Forum is a peer-reviewed journal published twice a year by the National Even Start Association (NESA), a membership organization that provides a national voice and vision for Even Start Family Literacy Partnerships.  Family Literacy Forum is committed to bringing the ideas and experiences of individuals in the field to the forefront of discussions about the literacy development of families in home, community, and school-based settings. 
The Goodling Institute's three goals: To develop a sound conceptual, interdisciplinary research base for guiding practice and policy; to build the capacity of the field to provide high quality, research-based instruction and program development; and to provide leadership in family literacy through communication and collaborative action with professional organizations, state departments of education, policy makers and the general public. For this issue, we welcome manuscripts that focus on research regarding the development of literacy in families and/or family literacy programs.Ý
These should employ any of the following and should include implications for practice: 
1. Qualitative and/or quantitative empirical studies 
2. Conceptual arguments based on prior research 
3.  Research reviews in an effort to expand understanding of a particular topic 
4. Reports focusing on aspects of evaluation theory, practice and method 
Discussions about implications for practice may:  Explore practical ideas for working with families and their literacy development- Examine the role of research and continuous program development- Raise issues and concerns about current research and practice in the field.  Manuscripts should be between 1,000 and 5,000 words.  Submissions should be typed double-spaced, including quotations and references. Submissions should be typed in 12-point font. Include a cover sheet with the manuscript title, authors' names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses.The names of the authors should not appear on the text as submissions are reviewed anonymously by peers.  Instead, type an identifying word on the top of each page.- Follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition, for reference style guidelines.  Present important information in the text and do not use footnotes or extensive endnotes. To submit a manuscript, or for other editorial correspondence, please contact: Claudia M. Ullman, Family Literacy Forum, at cullman2@nyc.rr.com  or Eunice N. Askov, Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy, at ena1@psu.edu.



RHODE  ISLANDERS: 
We would like to invite you/your agency to join RI VERA (Voter Education, Registration, and Action).RI VERA '04 is a non-partisan effort aimed at adult literacy learners and program staff in the New England states.  Its goal is to educate adult learners about voting and the topical electoral issues and to mobilize them to vote in the 2004 elections. VERA is sponsored by the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) at World Education.Voting is one of our most basic civil rights and responsibilities. Yet, barely one half (51.3%) of voting age adults voted in the 2000 United States presidential elections (Federal Election Commission, 2003).  Voting rates in The United States are among the lowest of any democracy in the world.  We should not allow another presidential election to go by with only one half of the voting age population bothering to go to the polls.

Studies show that the less education a person has, the less likely s/he is to vote. Yet, adult learners' well being is profoundly affected by the outcomes of current public policy debates.  Adult educators need to help learners to understand their self-interest and to see that their vote does count. The 2004 elections are a teachable moment with high stakes outcomes for low-income people in the United States.

Any interested adult education program in New England may join by registering on the web site .
 Individual teachers may also join VERA, but we need interested community and government members like you from outside of the Adult Education Field to lend some support to making this initiative successful in Rhode Island.

Each New England state is forming a VERA task force of practitioners and advocacy organizations.  Rhode Island needs your help in developing a statewide strategy and plan to mobilize the adult literacy community to vote in the 2004 presidential elections.  Please join us for this very important task.Ý

Sincerely,
Patricia Bellart, Director, Mentor, Inc., 401-762-3841, patriral@ids.net 
Kristen McKenna, RIFLI Literacy Coordinator, Providence Public Library, 401-455-8066
kmckenna@provlib.org


learning opportunities


Transition to College, Project RIRAL's ABE-to-College project is coordinated through the New England Literacy Resource Center and funded by the Nellie Mae Foundation. 

The project serves non-traditional adults who face many barriers to academic success.  They are often older adults who have been out of school for many years; most are single heads of households, and many are first generation college students.  Transition to College creates opportunities for adult literacy and high school graduates to prepare for, enter, and succeed in post secondary education.  Transition to College offers two evening and Saturday morning sessions starting in August. This free pre-college preparation program includes:  Educational Counseling, Academic Skills, PC Skills, College Survival Skills, and it includes workshops in Career Exploration, Stress and Time Management, and In-House Mentoring.  Students are also assisted in completing their college and financial aid applications and selection of college courses. While attending Transition to College, students also take a class at the Community College of Rhode Island earning three college credits toward their degree. Transition to College meets at netWORKri 175 Main Street in Pawtucket, RIÝÝ For more information, contact Marie Crecca-Romero, Coordinator at 722-9800 or email to: creccaromero@cox.net.
http://www.transitiontocollege.org/



The People's School Summer 2004 Schedule of Free Workshops
The People's School is a free community-learning project that's been taking place in Providence for the last year and a half.  As a collective, we are committed to: sharing knowledge rooted in people's experiences, challenging the racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism within ourselves and our communities, and learning outside of traditional educational structures. This summer we have an exciting new group of workshops taking place, beginning June 14 at the CityArts building, 891 Broad Street in South Providence. You can register for these workshops, listed below, by visiting our website at http://www.peopleschool.org or by leaving us a message at (401) 427-2181.  These workshops are all free of cost, but register now so that we know how many people to expect. This summer we're also opening a new classroom, library space, and public-access computer lab in the back of the CityArts building.  This space will be open from 5:30 - 9:30, Monday through Friday, beginning June 14.  For directions to the space, visit our website. 

Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE) is offering a "Women at Work" workshop free of charge to labor and community organizations, and we're looking for groups to participate. Women at Work is a project of DARE's Jobs with Dignity Campaign, whose goal is to build women's leadership in the labor movement. In order to build connections between women workers and advance the issues that are important to women workers, this project conducts workshops which focus on efforts to preserve health care and to win community access to good, living wage jobs. If you'd like the DARE workshop team to come to a meeting, class, or other event and lead the 30-minute workshop, please contact Eric Larson at Eric_D_Larson@brown.edu.



ASTHMA WORKSHOP AND ESOL LESSON 
This workshop fuses key, simple vocabulary and grammar into a lesson-like format tailored for ESOL learners.  The workshop is one to one and a half hours long, and includes information about the main characteristics of asthma, its symptoms and triggers.  Through a participatory and interactive environment, learners not only become aware of basic information relating to asthma, but they also learn English.  This workshop can also include data on how asthma affects Latinos, and local community resources where they offer bilingual help.
The workshop is free of cost and its language is applicable to all levels.  This is a workshop that could easily be integrated into a health unit or delivered as an isolated informative session and lesson.  If you and your learners would like to schedule a workshop, please feel free to contact me via e-mail or by phone.  Thank you. - Erick Garcia, ESOL Facilitator, American Lung Association, 401.935.8736 erickdgarcia@hotmail.com


funding opportunities - large and less large



National Endowment for the Humanities Grants Workshop Opportunity!  Tuesday, June 29th
Rhode Island College Student Union Ballroom (3rd Floor) 9:00am -1:00pm

The Office of Representative James Langevin and the RI Council for the Humanities (RICH) are pleased to offer a special workshop on grants opportunities at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars. The grants strengthen teaching and learning in the humanities in schools and colleges across the nation; facilitate research and original scholarship; provide opportunities for lifelong learning; preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources; and strengthen the institutional base of the humanities. The NEH is the largest funder of humanities programs in the US. This workshop will offer Rhode Island scholars, schools, and non-profit organizations a general overview of the major NEH grant programs, with a special focus on the fellowship program. Included in the workshop will be a "mock panel review" providing a unique opportunity to experience how proposals are reviewed at the NEH. The workshop program will begin at 9:30 am, with opening comments from Representative Langevin, at Rhode Island College in the Student Union Ballroom. Refreshments will be available beginning at 9:00am.
This program is free and open to the public, however seating is limited.  For information or to RSVP please contact the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities by calling (401) 273-2250 or email Michele Carroll at mcarroll@etal.uri.edu. 
For  information about NEH:Ý http://www.neh.gov/>www.neh.gov
For more information about RICH: http://www.uri.edu/rich.



The UPS Foundation funds volunteer management, hunger and literacy efforts.
http://www.community.ups.com/community/philanthropy/focus/main.html.

The federal government's new one stop grant site: http://www.grants.gov/


The Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) announces another round of education reform grants in areas of social science research.  PRACC is particularly interested in issues such as high classroom turnover/mobility and its disproportionate impact on low-income, minority, and farm worker students.  However, other issues will be considered as well.  To apply, send PRRAC a proposal outlining the planned research and methodology, the advocacy work it is designed to support, a budget, timeline, and qualifications of the researchers.  Maximum grant: $10,000.  No application deadline. http://www.prrac.org/grants.htm


Funding Solutions for Small Nonprofit Organizations
A collection of resources to help small nonprofit organizations fundraise including ways to motivate your board, sample fundraising letters, phonathon advice, and tips to improve your direct mail solicitation. http://www.nonprofit-innovations.com/

The Coalition of African, Asian, European and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAELII) is pleased to announce that a free 20-lesson curriculum is now available for download.


These lessons were suggested and tested by teachers at the CAAELII Coalition of 20 community based organizations serving immigrants and refugees in Chicago.  Developed under a grant from the Illinois Community College Board, they are aimed at students in EL/Civics classes who want to become more active and involved members of their community.  The lessons include: Identifying your Elected Representatives, Writing a Letter to your Elected Representative. Calling your Elected Representative, Dealing with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) Crime and U.S. Citizenship, Getting Legal Status:  An Overview,Sponsoring Relatives for a Green Card, Understanding Funding for ESL and Citizenship Classes.How a Bill Becomes a Law, The Bill of Rights and the Amendments that Guarantee Voting Rights, What to Do if You're Stopped or Questioned by the Police Using the Internet for Lesson Plans and as a Resource in the Classroom, EL/Civics Internet Resource Guide, Domestic Violence, Voting and Voting Rights, Elections,The Citizenship Interview (Parts 1-7) and Dictionary The Citizenship Interview (Parts 8-10) and Practice Interview To download one or all of the lessons go to the CAAELII web site at http://www.caaelii.org/ and click on the English Language, Civics and Citizenship Teacher's Toolbox. Also available for free download at the CAAELII site is the Active Citizens Technology in Our Neighborhood (ACTION) Curriculum, easy language lessons for beginning computer users. For more information or for questions, contact Khem@caaelii.org .


employment opportunities



CCRI is looking for an ESL instructor for a small, multi-level  worksite class for a company in Warwick beginning in July,  Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2:00 - 4:00, $25.00 per hour, paid prep time.   Contact Leslie Gell atÝ lmgell@ccri.edu or call 455-6059.

Substitute list: if you would like your name added to the list, please see contact LR/RI.  The list needs to be updated so that it can function more usefully for teachers and programs hoping to work with them. (http://www.brown.edu/lrri/sub.html)

Rhode Island Community Jobs (RICOMJOB) is a public e-mail announcement list that seeks to raise the profile of meaningful work in Rhode Island by helping non-profit and public interest employers publicize openings effectively. Anyone seeking a job that makes a difference in Rhode Island can join the list.  Any non-profit, government or private sector employer advertising a paid position related to the public interest or community concerns can post a free job listing.  Positions must be paid but may be part-time, full-time or temporary.

To join the list as a job seeker or to post a job as an employer go to: http://www.ricommunityjobs.org

Rhode Island Community Jobs is supported by the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University and the Rhode Island Campus Compact.  If you have questions about this service, please contact us at ricomjob@brown.edu 


online / resources

NYC's Literacy Assistance Center has a new health literacy pilot project underway.  Tilla Elahi, one of the teachers involved, is posting on the Health & Literacy Weblog.  Her program is partnering with Harlem Hospital and students are doing some exemplary work.  Learn more about the project in progress on the LINCS Health & Literacy Special Collection homepage http://www.worlded.org/us/health/lincs, click on weblog.


From Public Education Network Weekly News Blast, June 4, 2004: The 15th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book reports that national trends in child well-being are moving in a positive direction. Nonetheless, there are enormous differences among the states in many critical indicators. Although the child poverty rate declined in nearly every state between 1996 and 2001 (a period of economic expansion), the child poverty rate in America is among the highest in the developed world. The Data Book also highlights the fact that nearly one in six young adults, ages 18 - 24, are not working, have no degree beyond high school, and are not enrolled in school. The number of "disconnected" young adults increased by 19% since 2000, reflecting the difficulty many young folks are experiencing in the current tight labor market. http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/databook/


The online version of Women in Action No. 3, 2003, issue on Women in Prisons is now available at http://www.isiswomen.org/pub/wia/wia303/index.html.
Living in Poverty slideshow does the math: what does it take to live at the poverty level.
http://www.nccbuscc.org/cchd/povertyusa/tour2.htm


RI Foundation online scholarship directory - searchable by city/town, intended field of study, current high school, and more. http://scholarship.rifoundation.org/



The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy  (CAAL) has released Working Paper 4 in its series being issued as part of its task-force study of the role and potential of community colleges in adult education and literacy, Adult Education and Literacy and Community Colleges in Kentucky, by Forrest P. Chisman.  It is a journey into the intricacies and history of how the Kentucky system came to be what it is today and what factors account for its astounding success.  The paper describes and discusses Kentucky's adult education and community college systems in depth, as well as the linkages that have been developed between the two systems.

A Foreword to the paper points out some of the many features that make Kentucky a fascinating and instructive national model:  Kentucky requires, through explicit statewide policy, a seamless system of transitions from adult education to postsecondary education; its adult education service is basically learner-centered and competency-based; it is one of only a few states that invests heavily in workforce education; community college presidents consider adult education service to be part of their mission and generally do a good job of providing traditional adult education services; and the adult education and community college systems work together well through an array of linkages. The research phase of the study was funded by Kentucky Adult Education; CAAL's community college project funders supported other activities required to bring the Kentucky report to publication: the Ford Foundation; Household International; the Lumina Foundation for Education; the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; the Nellie-Mae Foundation; Verizon, Inc.; and several individual donors. The paper is available in PDF form at the CAAL Web site, http://www.caalusa.org.  At the home page, scroll down the left column to publication item (4). A limited number of bound copies are available directly from CAAL for $15 each (send a prepayment check to CAAL, which is tax exempt, along with a written request for the number of copies desired).Ý



From OVAE review  (Vocational and Technical Education; High Schools; Adult Education and Literacy; and Community Colleges)  May 28, 2004, Susan K. Sclafani, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary Office of Vocational and Adult Education. U.S. Department of Education Angela Desrochers-Editor The Review is a monthly update from the Assistant Secretary at the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, US Dept. of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev052804.html  included this month:ÝÝ

OVAE submits annual adult education Report to Congress http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/resource/index.html#research

The new report covers Program Year 2001-2002 and provides an analysis of statesí adult education information gathered  through the National Reporting System.  The report is required under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), which comprises Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. AEFLA is the major source of federal funds for adult basic skills programs. The law supports educational opportunities for adults over sixteen, not currently enrolled in school, and who lack a high school diploma or the basic skills to function effectively, in the workplace or their daily lives. Opportunities focus on adult basic education, secondary school completion and English language acquisition.  In  2001-2002, the program enrolled 2.8 million learners nationwide-38 percent in adult basic education, 20 percent in secondary completion and 42 percent in English language learning programs: more at : http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev052804.html#aepaf

Another State Promotes Transfer from Community College to Baccalaureate Institutions -- Citing the state need to educate a workforce prepared for high-paying, highly skilled jobs, Rhode Island higher education leaders signed aÝ http://www.ribghe.org/ritransfers.htm  Joint Admissions Agreement in early May 2004. The agreement describes paths for students enrolling in and graduating from the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) with an Associate Degree to transfer and apply 60 credits to the University of Rhode Island (URI) or Rhode Island College (RIC).  Currently, 20 majors have been approved for the Joint Admissions Agreement.   For more: http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev052804.html#state



Securing the Right to Learn
An internationally-produced guide to advocacy- adult educators from 10 countries met to produce an advocacy guide for use by adult educators in increasing demand for adult learning at local, national and global levels and in a variety of geographical and societal contexts. http://www.niace.org.uk/projects/RightToLearn/


Reports from Research with Youth. Read the findings of a year long research study carried out in Ontario to: deepen understanding of the complex picture of how violence affects learning,; examine how school responses play a part in creating this picture, and, strengthen the possibilities to support learning for youth in high schools and in youth literacy and training programs. 
The Challenge to Create a Safer learning Environment for Youth by Jenny Horsman - the full 83 page report:- $10 (plus mailing) 
The Impact of Violence on Learning for Youth: What Can we Do  by Jenny Horsman - focuses particularly on the words of the interviewees - especially the youth - and their suggestions about what we can do to improve education - $4 (plus mailing)ÝÝ 
You have to believe it to see it: Safer learning in dangerous times by Nicole Ysabet -a brief booklet aimed at youth ? 50 cents (free with the other reports if requested). All three publications can also be down loaded free from : http://www.jennyhorsman.com. To order please email Nicole at feedback@jennyhorsman.com  You can also contact us at that address with feedback on the publications - we would love to hear from you.


The Center on an Aging Societyís Issue Brief , Cultural Competence in Health Care, points out that the increasing diversity of the population brings opportunities and challenges for the health care system in the US.  Racial and ethnic minorities, who are disproportionately burdened by chronic illness, are also likely to benefit from care that is delivered in a culturally competent manner.  The Brief notes that the commitment to cultural competence is growing among health care providers and systems, and that more attention to this issue could help improve access to health care services, quality of care, and health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
http://ihcrp.georgetown.edu/agingsociety/pubhtml/cultural/cultural.html


Program Quality Indicators for Adult Education Programs, Program Quality Indicators for Volunteer Literacy Programs and  Program Quality Indicators for TANF Agencies - all edited by Donna S. ShermanReviewed by over forty practitioners and based on the Bridges to Practice Indicators of High Quality Service for Adults with Learning Disabilities, these program quality indicators can be used to plan for long-term program improvement in serving adults with learning disabilities. Use these program quality indicators with the Bridges to Practice guidebooks and training. Requests for copies of the indicators should be addressed to Kaye Beall at kbeall@proliteracy.org.  PDF versions of the documents available online at http://www.brown.edu/lrri/ld.html; word versions available upon request.


- YouthBuild USA Learning Network has links to Web sites and full-text documents, and  which includes a section on "Authentic Materials/Engaged Learning/Constructivism/Contextual Learning/Project-based Learning." http://www.youthbuild.org/learningnetwork/professionaldev.html



Providence Community Resource Network (PCRN) http://www.provplan.org/pcrn
Spanish language version of PCRN is up and running.  You can access the site from the PCRN home page, http://www.provplan.org/pcrn, or go straight to http://www.provplan.org/pcrnespa. The Web pages, online instructions, and the content of the database have all been translated.


Civics 101 -  website of the RI Secretary of State, at http://www.rules.state.ri.us/civics_101/; a high school curriculum that may be adaptable for adult learners and/or useful for initiating critical
reflection about citizenship and communities.


.The Canadian Congress for Learning Opportunities for Women has placed many of its critical resources on women and literacy online.  To access these materials at Search CCLOW - http://www.nald.ca/cclow/search/ - or contact LR/RI for more information.Ý

conferences and workshops - conferences and workshops are listed chronologically and are updated with each bulletin


Rhode Island - Training/events around employment issues for people with disabilities http://www.ric.edu/uap/training.html



The Workforce Improvement Network holds its 2004 Summer  Institute on June 21 and 22, at James Madison  University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. All adult and  workforce educators are invited to attend. Dr. Yvonne Thayer, director of adult education and literacy  for the Virginia Department of Education, will give the  welcoming address and participants will be able to choose  from two workshop tracks: GED Learning in the Workplace and  Building Websites for ESOL Students. More information on the Summer Institute 2004 and a downloadable registration form can be found at: http://vawin.jmu.edu/news/announcements/summer2004.php

The Second Canadian Conference on Literacy and Health, Staying the  Course: October 17-19, Ottawa . 
Literacy and Health in the First Decade, will bring together learners, practitioners and leading experts from Canada and  the United States in a national forum to discuss what is being done to improve the health of Canadians with low literacy skills in the areas of practice, policy and research.  The conference is: Proposed conference themes include:  improving health services, raising literacy skills, focusing on language and culture, building  healthy public policy and learning through research.   Our objectives are to: Raise awareness of links between literacy and health; Identify how the Canadian context affects literacy and health; Exchange and document best practices and research in literacy and health in Canada; Identify policy issues involved in the linkage between literacy and health; Strengthen literacy and health networks and facilitate new  partnerships in the area of practice, policy and research across different sectors (such as health, education, and employment). 
To join our on-line Discussion Group and receive updates, or for information http://www.cpha.ca/literacyandhealth or e-mail literacyandhealth_conf@cpha.ca. 
- Lynn Chiarelli, Project Coordinator/Coordonnatrice de projet. Second Canadian Conference on Literacy and Health/Deuxième Conférence  canadienne sur l'alphabétisation et la santé Canadian Public Health Association/Association canadienne de santé publique 400-1565 Carling Avenue Ottawa, ON K1Z 8R1 Telephone: 613-725-3769 x112 Fax:  613-725-9826 http://www.nlhp.cpha.ca

From Archie Willard, Conference Chair, announcing  the 15th New Readers of Iowa Conference, Health and Literacy Working Together, (September 10-11 in Des Moines, Iowa).

If you are an adult learner and want to learn more about health or if you are a professional who wants to learn together with us, please call Karmen Shriver at North Iowa Area Community College at 641-422-4341 for information and/or to register. There is no conference fee. 
For those who come the night before, on, September 9, pharmacists will be there to visit with you about your medications. We encourage you to bring questions about health literacy problems, and for different adult learner groups to build partnerships with health professionals to find health literacy solutions. The New Readers of Iowa have partnered with the Iowa Health System and have been attending each others' meetings to work together to develop better communications in health care.
Some of the things we want to accomplish at this conference are to:
(1)  learn from the panel of health professionals
(2)  look at and work on health forms and questionnaires
(3)  make a health literacy statement, and
(4)  learn how to navigate the health system.
At the conference, the Iowa Health System will have a panel of health professionals (doctor, pharmacist, nutritionist, nurse practitioner and nurse). Later at the conference people from the Iowa Health System will work with the adult learners to look at health forms and questionnaires to see if adult learners can comprehend them and for them make recommendations about the forms and questionnaires. Adult learners will work together to make a health literacy statement. It is very important to us as adult learners to express ourselves in this way to the health literacy fields. Researchers from the School of Public Health at Harvard will work with us to learn how to navigate the health system. At this conference we'll all learn from each other. At this time, scheduled speakers at the conference are: Marty Finsterbush, Executive Director of VALUE; Pat Blackwell, an adult learner, now a nurse from Indiana; Marsha Tate, Senior Vice President from ProLiteracy. Dr. Claudia Corwin, formerly a transplant surgeon at the Uof Iowa and still on their staff, will be on our health professional panel.



other events and conferences http://www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/Calendar/calendar_world.cgi

TESOL worldwide calendar of events http://www.tesol.org/isaffil/calendar/index.html



from previous bulletins: REMINDERS, RESOURCES


SABES Resource Lists Available.  From Carey Reid [full message here]:
As you might know, Massachusetts now has a rigorous, stand-alone ABE teacher's license.  SABES, the System for Adult Basic Education Support, is a state-wide staff development system funded by MassDOE. 
Ö[S]months ago I asked if NLA subscribers were interested in helping SABES build resource lists, by standard, in support of teachers seeking the new license here in Massachusetts.  Many of you helped out, thank you, and we've also worked with small groups of people locally to build these 29 lists, now with over 150 resources--books, articles, websites, and videos.  The lists are now available on SABES's  license support website at http://www.sabes.org/license.  You can get quickly to the lists by clicking on the "new resources added" link under What's New, or at any time by using the resources link on the bottom of every webpage.  When you arrive at the chart listing the 29 standards, click on any standard to go to the resource list we've compiled for it.   The lists are annotated; with the annotations, teachers who wish to improve their knowledge and skills in respect to a particular standard can be more assured they're getting the resource they want or need.  If the resource can be viewed or downloaded on the Net, we've provided a link. 

Additionally, we want to improve these lists, so please email me if you'd like to suggest additions or changes.  BTW, the full list of resources is also collected in a ProCite bibliography file, so if you use that software and would like to have your own "instant" database, let me know and I'll email you the file. As stated earlier, SABES is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education.  To avoid confusion, the website is not an official DOE site but rather one of SABES's means of supporting license-seeking teachers in our state.  Links to Massachusetts DOE webpages, however, are provided on the site.



breathe - everyday yoga at your desk. http://www.mydailyyoga.com/yoga/everyday_yoga.html


what do you think? LR/RI has had an online survey on its site forever.  Previously, those who may have come across the survey were asked to copy and paste it into an email message, or to print it and complete it.  Thanks to the brilliant technical support and inservice learning provided by Brown University, the survey can now be completed on line.  I'd be grateful if you could please take the time to complete it.  While occasional word comes back about the work LR/RI has done, this survey attempts to be somewhat more systematic in considering the work that's done and the work that needs to be accomplished.  Please complete the survey at http://www.brown.edu/lrri - scroll down and click on the link to the survey.  If you lack web access and wish to complete the survey, please contact LR/RI to receive one via snail mail or fax.

  • please submit 

  •  

     
     
     

    Please contact LR/RI if you have information, questions or announcements to share with adult educators in Rhode Island. Bulletins go out at least twice a month; more frequently when there's more to share. To submit information for the next bulletin, please contact LR/RI by phone (401-863-2839), mail (PO Box 1974, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912) or email



    back to LR/RI home