Oakland Literacy Council is proud to sponsor the Opportunity Workforce Summit, a free, one-day conference connecting immigrant and refugee job seekers with employers, workforce organizations, education and training providers, and community partners. We encourage tutors to share this opportunity with their ESL students. Attendees can explore career opportunities, build new skills, connect with employers, and access valuable community resources. The summit will take place on Tuesday, September 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Schoolcraft College’s Vista Tech Center in Livonia.

Oakland Literacy Council is excited to welcome author Curtis Chin as the featured speaker for Ex Libris, our signature annual fundraising dinner, on October 21 at The Village Club in Bloomfield Hills.

Detroit native Curtis Chin is the bestselling author of Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. Curtis is also a filmmaker and activist whose work explores identity, community, and the Asian American experience. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Curtis’ acclaimed memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, recounts his experiences growing up in his family’s restaurant in Detroit’s Chinatown while navigating race, family, and coming of age.

There are many ways to become a sponsor for Ex Libris 2026. You can purchase tickets to the event or view the sponsorship form using by clicking here. OLC hopes you join us to Ignite the Future!

Thanks to our donors, adult learners like Mariana Chavez are graduating from Oakland Literacy Council’s education program this quarter with proficiency in the English language and other academic skills. Every day, Mariana Chavez uses her bilingual language skills to connect families with community resources through storytelling and community outreach.  

Originally from Mexico, Mariana learned about Oakland Literacy Council through partner organization Centro Multicultural La Familia, where she is the Communications and Graphic Design Coordinator.  

Mariana enrolled at OLC to strengthen her reading and listening English skills. While enrolled, Mariana received a pay raise. Her growing English proficiency helped strengthen her confidence in workplace communication and professional development. Her work centers on helping immigrant and underserved communities access information through clear, inclusive communication.  

“I lead creative and strategic efforts to amplify the voices of underserved communities through inclusive storytelling and accessible design. My role bridges visual communication and digital strategy—I develop bilingual campaigns, manage our brand identity across platforms, and design culturally resonant materials for outreach, education, and advocacy,” Mariana says.   

“Whether I’m creating social media content, managing website updates, or crafting materials for community events, I focus on clarity, empathy, and impact,” Mariana explains.  

Today, Mariana uses her creativity and communication skills to help families feel informed, welcomed, and connected. She recently graduated in reading and improved her listening skills.  Through Oakland Literacy Council, she continues building the language skills that support both her career and the community she serves. 

A four-week bootcamp helped accelerate the progress of eight Oakland Literacy Council’s GED candidates toward their high school equivalency degree.

All of the adult participants in the intensive bootcamp gained confidence while improving their math skills, with five of the eight earning passing scores on GED’s practice math subject test by the last day of the class.

The GED Math Bootcamp met two evenings a week for four weeks with instructor Laura Wicklund, a member of the math faculty at Oakland Community College who said she took the position as a way to give back to the community.

“I think we formed a support group in this class. I did see a lot of students who would work

together and help each other out. It was a really good environment, I thought that everybody was really polite and came in with great attitudes,” Laura said.

A grant from Kirk in the Hills Church enabled OLC to pilot the bootcamp focused on the math portion of the GED test, which is the most challenging subject area to pass.

“Nationally, and within our own program, adult learners consistently pass the three other GED subject areas: language arts, science and social studies, yet stall at the math test,” said Laurie Weeks, OLC’s Executive Director. “Typically, GED candidates enter our program with major gaps in foundational math skills such as fractions and multiplication. As the path toward GED completion lengthens, adult learners often become discouraged.”

The learners gave positive feedback.

Demari Mosley, 22, said he didn’t finish 10^th, 11^th or 12^th grade, and he wanted to catch up on algebra.

“There are good people here at OLC who care. They actually check on you, make sure you’re doing the work, and if you’re messing up, they let you know. That’s what made it so good, because it gave the effect that I was still

in school,” Demari said.

Torrance Ringgold, 23, came to the bootcamp after working a full day, like most of the others, said, “The bootcamp was a great refresher for me. It brought back little things that I didn’t really remember from being out of school for a couple of years. It brought a classroom setting that helped me lock in on my work. It was definitely worth it.”

Torrance has since passed the official math subject test. “I wish there was more programs like this for science and social studies to touch up on those as well, I would definitely attend another one,” he said.

Sebastian Chernov has also since passed his math subject test. He credits his success in the bootcamp to the instructor. “Laura had the ability to refine specific concepts to a point of confidence. It’s easy to forget the nuances because related concepts, and she made it easier to relearn them,” Sebastian said. “Laura made the whole thing a positive and enriching experience.”

Since the bootcamp ended, Laura has volunteered her time to tutor one of the learners who needed extra support. “It was a good refresher for some of the students and for other students it was all new material so I think that if nothing else, the class probably has them motivated to take the GED test or to jumpstart the study process,” she said.

Because of the positive feedback from both the students and instructor, Oakland Literacy Council is hoping to propose a GED Bootcamp for other subject areas, such as reading and science. Students who complete the GED Test will have the opportunity to walk across the stage in mid-July at OLC’s graduation event.

A partnership between Oakland Literacy Council and Oakland80 is putting Eleonore Bell and adults like her on the path toward economic prosperity by lifting their foundational literacy skills and helping them earn credentials sought by employers.

Pauline Schultz, Eleonore’s ESL tutor, says Eleonore is a perfect example of OLC’s mission of preparing learners for a successful and productive life in America. “Eleonore studied 12 hours a week to prepare for her nursing school entrance exam, including in-person English tutoring at OLC and online ESL courses,” Pauline said. “Her tutoring was individualized to focus on reading, vocabulary and grammar to prepare for her college entrance exam.  Healthcare topics were integrated into her English lessons to match her professional goals.”

When Vasyl Fedorovych immigrated to America in April 2023 from his war-torn country of Ukraine, he couldn’t speak or read English. Leaving behind his wife and three young children, like generations of immigrants before him, Vasyl came to southeast Michigan in search of peace and a new beginning.  

A master carpenter and artist in Ukraine, Vasyl lost his construction business in the war. Now living in America, he is determined to learn English in order to start a new life and eventually be reunited with his family here. To assist him in his journey, the Oakland Literacy Council partnered Vasyl with adult ESL volunteer tutor Brenda Gaunt, a retired teacher.   

“Vasyl is a natural learner, diligently attending all his classes, practicing every day and becoming more and more confident in conversational English,” Gaunt observes. “He was inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society last summer for his work ethic and positive attitude.” 

Vasyl currently puts his skills to work as a freelance handyman, with plans to earn a contractor license to support himself and his family. Impressed with his abilities, the Carpenters Union of Detroit has offered to help him secure a job and eventual membership. Vasyl credits the Oakland Literacy Council for motivating and inspiring him toward his goals.

“The classes make learning interesting and lively and English becomes a part of everyday life,” he says. “I am grateful to OLC for its support, opportunities and friendly atmosphere.  My dream is to learn English, get my contractor license, and to have my family join me here in America.” 

Oakland Literacy Council is excited to offer an intensive bootcamp to help GED candidates pass the math subject test–often the hardest part of completing their high-school equivalency. Candidates can enroll by clicking here.

GED Math Bootcamp (3)

At a pivotal moment for adult education and workforce readiness, Oakland Literacy Council today announced the appointment of its 2026 Board Officers, whose leadership will help guide the organization through its next phase of growth, innovation, and community impact.

The newly appointed officers are:
• Mita Bhavsar, Director, FINNEA Group- Chair
• Sue Klunk, Former OLC Communications & Development Coordinator- Vice Chair
• Jeffrey Rodabaugh, Director, FINNEA Group- Treasurer
• Paula Brown, CFRE, Development Director, The Arc of Northwest Wayne County- Secretary

This group of accomplished professionals who, together with their fellow board members, share a commitment to advancing OLC’s mission and a dedication to actively engaging to strategically support the organization to best reach the community it serves.

“We look forward to an exciting year of collaboration and development with our Board of Directors and congratulate the officers on their appointments,” said Laurie Weeks, Executive Director of Oakland Literacy Council. “The relationship between our board and staff is truly one of partnership. Our shared passion for our organization strengthens our ability to serve our learners and communities more effectively.”

Each Board Officer brings a unique perspective and a strong record of leadership and service. Together, they will support organizational governance, amplify community partnerships, and help expand OLC’s reach. The Board of Directors currently has 13 Board Members, including three new members who will be joining in 2026.

About Mita Bhavsar: Mita is an industry expert in data modeling, with over 20 years of experience across multiple industries. Mita is a community advocate with a focus on math literacy. She is “passionate about education and believes that knowledge truly is power.” Mita has served as a volunteer GED Math instructor and worked with multiple nonprofit organizations leading math boot camps, promoting STEM education for young women, and ensuring that teenagers at risk for dropping out of school have a path to higher education and trade programs. She is a certified diversity and inclusion facilitator. Mita graduated from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, with a Bachelor of Mathematics.

About Sue Klunk: Sue joined the Board in 2023 after retiring from her role as an OLC staff member She chairs our annual fundraising dinner Ex Libris and is the representative to Bookstock for OLC. Sue brings strong storytelling and communication expertise to the organization and as a former tutor she understands our core service. Sue is active in the community and serves on the Board of Aish Detroit. She holds a Master of Education in Instructional Technology from Wayne State University and her bachelor’s in business administration from Miami University.

About Jeff Rodabaugh: Jeff has 15 years of experience in various accounting and FP&A roles. He holds a degree from the University of Findlay in Financial Accounting. The majority of Jeff’s career has been spent building a strong set of professional skills in the automotive industry. His strong foundation in costing, coupled with a sound understanding of operational activity, has helped margin improvement for several companies. Jeff has developed a strong acumen in building unique financial models surrounding inflation as well as general financial forecasting. Jeff’s passion for literacy stems from his gratitude for the literacy opportunities provided, especially in speech pathology, to his son following his autism diagnosis. His wife is also a tenured elementary teacher where literacy is the foundation for young growing minds.

About Paula Brown: Paula, who just completed a three-year term as OLC’s board chair, brings to the Oakland Literacy Council more than 30 years of experience in fundraising for non-profit organizations. She was formerly the Fund Development Officer at Zaman International in Inkster and now the Development Director of The Arc of Northwest Wayne County. Paula is deeply committed to combatting adult illiteracy; she is the former Executive Director of Reading Works in Detroit.

We are looking for an experienced math teacher to lead a short-term, paid bootcamp for our GED candidates. Please check out the job description. GED Math Bootcamp Job Description