Bloomfield Hills, MI – Oakland Literacy Council will launch a free, 12-week series of classes for adults with low reading levels who live, work or go to school in Oakland County. The classes will be led by a seasoned, certified teacher from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Oakland Literacy Council’s office in Bloomfield Hills beginning on Feb. 5. Interested students are invited to an orientation on Tuesday, Jan. 22, or Thursday, Jan. 24, at noon.

“Because the class will meet for four hours a week, students will enjoy a sense of community while quickly building their reading fluency and comprehension skills,” says Lisa Machesky, executive director of Oakland Literacy Council. “We are excited to offer the classroom model because it has proven successful in other counties, especially for students who want to brush up on their reading skills before enrolling in a GED preparation program.”

The classroom model is in addition to the core service offered by Oakland Literacy Council of tutoring adults with low literacy by matching each one with a trained volunteer tutor. On any given week, 200 student-tutor pairs meet weekly for two hours throughout the county to build practical English skills.

Students interested in the new class should call the council office at 248-253-1617.

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners has recognized Oakland Literacy Council Board President Judy Lindstrom for her many years of “exceptional dedication, leadership, generosity and philanthropy.”

Judy first volunteered as a tutor for Oakland Literacy Council in 1997. Seven years later, she stepped into her first leadership role. Today, in addition to presiding over the council’s Board of Directors, she chairs the council’s annual fundraising dinner, Ex Libris.

“It is no exaggeration to state that without Judy, and her invaluable contributions and leadership, the organization as we know it would not exist,” declared a proclamation adopted by the county commissioners. “Judy truly understands the meaning of giving back and has made a positive and lasting impact on the community.”

Lindstrom said she was overwhelmed to receive the recognition. “I am truly blessed to be part of the Oakland Literacy ‘family,’” she said. “The dedication and hard work of our tutors, students, staff and board never ceases to amaze me.”

 

 

 

October 25, 2018 – Bloomfield Hills, Mich. – Oakland Literacy Council announced that Anne Curzan, a noted linguist and expert in the history of the English language, will deliver the keynote speech at the council’s annual fundraising event on Thursday, November 1, 2018, at the Village Club in Bloomfield Hills.

Curzan is the Geneva Smitherman Collegiate Professor of English and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan. She is the author of several books on the English language and a contributor to the “That’s What They Say” segment on Michigan Radio as well as a language blog for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Now in its 34^th year, the council’s Ex Libris event will also feature a current student who has learned English with help from an Oakland Literacy Council tutor. In addition, the event will honor the contributions of local civic leader Barbara Van Dusen. “Barbara has been a longtime supporter of literacy efforts in general and the Oakland Literacy Council in particular,” said from Judy Lindstrom, president of the council’s board of directors.

The event will begin with cocktails 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Club, located at 190 East Long Lake, Bloomfield Hills.

October 25, 2018 – Bloomfield Hills, Mich. – Oakland Literacy Council welcomed Joan Allesee, an instructional designer who has served as a volunteer tutor and tutor trainer, as the newest member of the council’s Board of Directors.

“Joan is a high energy individual who brings to the board her firsthand experience as a literacy tutor along with her expertise in developing training programs that incorporate best practices in education and leverage new technology,” said Lisa Machesky, Executive Director.

In 2016, Allesee designed and developed the council’s tutor on-boarding e-Learning course. The online course improves the ease and convenience of becoming a tutor with the council.

Allesee has over 25 years of experience creating learning solutions and facilitating training. She joined the Oakland Literacy Council as a tutor in 2014. She has tutored three students, facilitated the OLC tutor training workshop for two years, and trained other OLC volunteer facilitators. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Michigan and completed her M.S. in instructional design online at Quinnipiac University. In addition, she is a member of the board of directors of the Detroit Chapter of the Association for Talent Development. She works at Innovative Learning Group where she creates learning solutions for clients across the U.S.

Allesee is the third individual to join Oakland Literacy Council’s Board of Directors in 2018. She followed Alicia Stephens, Vice President of Customer Service Communications at Comerica Bank, and Roger Chao, Assistant Professor in Oakland University’s Department of Writing and Rhetoric.

The council’s Board of Directors is comprised of volunteer members who are actively involved in promoting and advancing the council’s mission.