In the last year, we have all felt keenly the loss of things precious to us – for some, the loss of a loved one or a job; for all, the absence of social gatherings, shared meals, outings to favorite spots, and hugging a friend. In the midst of so much loss, Rachester Motley set her sights on what she might gain.

Rachester remembers praying, “Lord, I want to come out of this pandemic with more. Let me come out with something new from this.”

Eight months later, that “something more” is coming to fruition in Rachester’s life. She’s enrolled as an Oakland Literacy Council basic education student and is making great strides in her reading ability.

At 66 years old, this step marks a big change. “I used to have the attitude that I was too old,” Rachester says. “But then something came over me and said, ‘you’re never too old to learn, you can do it’ and my thinking switched. I wanted to become more independent at my age.”

Following that realization, Rachester was introduced to Oakland Literacy by community partner Neighborhood House. Then it was time to tackle the first hurdle — learning to use a computer so tutoring could take place virtually. Oakland Literacy Council’s digital literacy coordinator, Patti Shayne, provided Rachester with a computer and helped her master the basics of using Zoom and the appropriate educational software.

From there, Rachester began meeting virtually with her tutor, Jill Cook, twice a week. She values the one-on-one instruction that makes the most of their lesson time.

“I love working with Jill,” Rachester says. “One-on-one, there are no distractions or interruptions. Jill works with me, she’s building me. It’s like I’m learning to crawl, then walk; each step is like a new beginning. Jill understands me and I feel comfortable.”

As Jill and Rachester work through the Barton curriculum, a multi-sensory curriculum based on Orton-Gillingham and adapted for virtual use through a tool called Whizzimo, Rachester is discovering the joy of reading.

“One day, I saw a book called Who Is Kamala Harris? and it just looked so tempting!” Rachester says, referring to the newest edition in “Who HQ,” a best-selling history series written for middle-grade readers. “I was so excited! I bought the book, and Jill and I went through it together. But I also re-read it by myself and I would highlight sections or put a question mark next to something I wanted to ask Jill. I love that reading lets me hear other people’s stories and learn about them.”

While literacy and digital literacy have immense practical benefits – Rachester’s goals include using email more often and learning how to securely pay bills and shop online – Rachester speaks most passionately about the personal growth she’s experiencing thanks to her newfound skills.

“I have more confidence in myself,” she says. “This is making me stronger, making me believe in myself. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

Rachester encourages others to push through the reluctance that once held her back. “Reach out and ask for help. It will make you feel very good to know you can do things for yourself; you have power. You can get help, hold on to it, and learn as much as you can. That’s true for any age.”

Opening a restaurant during the pandemic takes incredible courage, but then so does immigrating to a new country with one’s family. Daewoon Choi has done both.

Daewoon brought his wife and teenaged daughter and son to the United States in 2017 from South Korea. The primary reason for moving: to secure better educational opportunities for the children.

Although Daewoon had worked for the city government in Korea, he took a job in his sister’s sushi restaurant when he arrived in the U.S. After working in restaurant kitchens for three years, the 50-year-old took the leap to open his own restaurant with a business partner in May 2021.

Sushi Yeoubi is tucked into a strip mall in Lake Orion. For now, it has just three employees and functions as a carryout establishment, although the space has tables, where customers can eat the fresh California rolls, spiced tuna, and other specialties that they’ve purchased at the counter.

The restaurant’s name Yeoubi means “sun shining through the rain,” Daewoon explains. It is a fitting expression for something good happening in the midst of a difficult time – like launching a restaurant in a pandemic or learning a new language and new culture in a strange country.

Supporting Daewoon through the stress of establishing himself in the U.S. and starting a business has been his Oakland Literacy Council tutor, Sue. “I came here, and I had no friend in America,” Daewoon says. “I talk about my problems with Sue and share my ideas. She’s now a very good friend.”

In keeping with the Council’s mission to meet students where they’re at, Sue has helped Daewoon learn the language of day-to-day American life such as home, yard and car maintenance as well as the language of his new business venture such as the terms in the lease agreement with his landlord.

Although Daewoon had studied English in Korea, he struggled to speak English before working with Sue. “My pronunciation is so bad,” Daewon says. Sue gently corrected his efforts to pronounce words with difficult r, l, and w sounds, he says. Speaking is easier now, he says.

“The skill I am most proud of giving Daewoon is confidence,” says Sue. “Confidence to talk on the phone, to look at Americans and make small talk, to communicate with bankers and landlords and building inspectors. He was already brave enough to emigrate with his wife and adult children, and smart enough to use the web to learn how to fix anything and to start a new business with all the COVID-19 restrictions.”

 

As a dynamic leader and host of Council events, Alicia Stephens strives to make sure all who want to improve their literacy skills have the opportunity. 

Alicia Stephens already had a full plate as a mom and wife,  church volunteer, OLC board member, and executive at Comerica Bank, but when asked to lead OLC’s newly formed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee last summer, she believed it was a cause deserving of her time. 

“Diversity is a differentiator of success,” Alicia says. “The more variation you have, the better chance you have of being able to put together a strategy or solution that’s going to lead to more positive outcomes.” 

Positive outcomes is what this dynamic advocate leader is all about. “Wherever I go, I want to bring a positive spirit and energy to the room,” Alicia says, “There are only so many hours in the day, and if you’re going to dedicate yourself and invest in something, you should always put your best foot forward and be an enabler of positive results.” 

Alicia first got involved with OLC just over two years ago while seeking opportunities to leverage her professional skills to serve the community. A passionate reader since childhood, she was immediately drawn to the mission of OLC. Her interest grew as she learned more about the organization. “Books and education open the world to you,” she remarks. 

“To lift the adult literacy level in Oakland County, we have to understand what are the drivers for inequalities.”

Early in her career, Alicia worked at a bank branch and recalls interacting with some customers who struggled with low literacy. “They were unable to fill out a deposit or withdrawal slip,” she recalls, “and some customers weren’t able to sign their names.”

As DEI Chairperson, Alicia is excited to help OLC always “interact in a way that communicates that all are welcome,” she says. The Committee is already making progress toward its initial goals of increasing diversity among board membership, selecting materials and resources for learners that reflect the varied cultures of our learners, and educating tutors about diversity and inclusion.

Alicia is also enthusiastic about OLC’s desire to explore historical and systemic sources of inequity in education and literacy. “To lift the adult literacy level in Oakland County, we have to understand what are the drivers for inequalities,” she states, referencing economic, gender, racial, and other influences.

Along with broadening diversity, Alicia reports that the Board recognizes growth as the Council’s most pressing current opportunity. Virtual tutoring has been well received and widened the pool of volunteer tutors beyond southeastern Michigan, communities are seeking to bridge inequitable educational gaps, and the Board is looking at ways to elevate fundraising to support the growing demand for literacy support. 

“The Oakland Literacy Council has been around for decades. The Board wants to make sure that it’s around for decades to come,” Alicia shares, “and that means always keeping our eye on not just today but tomorrow.”

 

Diane Walsh was a newly retired teacher when she found Oakland Literacy Council online while looking for volunteer opportunities. She signed on as a tutor, completed the training, and has worked diligently with at least eight Oakland Literacy students in both ESL and adult basic education over seven years. Here’s what Diane shares about her role as a volunteer tutor:

“I think the most important qualities a tutor can bring to this experience are careful listening, patience, and respect for the student.”

“From the beginning, I’m patient with a new student. I know it will take time for them to express what their goals are. I approach our relationship carefully. I listen a lot, take notes, and ask the student to read aloud to me. When I listen to them speak and read to me, I get a window into their needs and challenges.”

Diane has learned many new technologies this year, including Burlington English and Barton, a specialized curriculum for adults with learning disabilities. While they can be challenging at first, she loves the structure and innovation they bring to her tutoring sessions.

Diane is so proud of the progress her student, TL, is making. In recent testing, he achieved two levels of educational gains! Congratulations, TL!

All of us at the Council are so grateful for Diane’s commitment! With warmth, empathy, and sincerity, Diane is just one incredible example of the way we see our amazing volunteers bringing out the best in students week after week. Thank you, volunteers!

Oakland Literacy Council stands with the Asian students whom we serve and recognize that they are feeling fear and anger at the recent rise in anti-Asian violence and hate throughout the country. Asian adults represent nearly half of the English language learners served by Oakland Literacy Council, and we will continue to respect, celebrate, and provide free literacy instruction to these students so they can thrive in our community. While anti-Asian racism is not new, we cannot ignore that hate crimes against Asians have been on the rise since the pandemic began a year ago. The Council is actively working to bring about racial justice and equity for all oppressed groups in our community.

We encourage our Asian students and other community members who feel they have been discriminated against to file a complaint with theMichigan Department of Civil Rights or withStop APPI Hate.

 

Seven years ago, Sundas arrived in the United States and applied for asylum, fearing for her safety if she returned home to Iraq. Now, she calls the United States her home country. On February 4th, she became a citizen!

No one is prouder than her tutor, Carole. Carole has been tutoring Sundus in English since 2018. Over the last year, Carol helped Sundus prepare for the civics test, the final exam of the naturalization process.

The civics test is an oral test given by an immigration officer. Candidates for citizenship are expected to correctly answer six out of ten questions about U.S. history and government. The ten questions are randomly selected from a possible 100 questions. Sundus and Carole went over test questions each week. Together they studied the Constitution and new vocabulary. Carole was confident in Sundus because of “how diligent she was about her studies.”

Indeed, the preparation paid off! Sundus answered the first seven questions correctly to easily pass the civics test. The naturalization ceremony followed. Due to COVID-19, Sundus could not have guests attend. But as soon as she left the building, she shared the good news with family and friends, including Carole.

Sundus is thrilled to be a U.S. citizen. “The best part is, now I can have an American passport so I can visit my daughter in Sweden, and I can vote.”

Congratulations and safe travels, Sundus!

Sundus was previously featured in Oakland Literacy Council’s “35 Faces of Literacy.” Click HERE to read more about her journey.

 

Oakland History Center, Oakland Literacy Council Present on Racial Integration in Pontiac Schools

PONTIAC, MICHIGAN – On February 18, 2021, the Oakland History Center and Oakland Literacy Council are partnering to offer free presentations on the History of Racial Integration in Pontiac Schools. The 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. presentations will be in a virtual format and preregistration is required.

“This year marks 50 years since the start of court-ordered busing of elementary students to facilitate the racial integration of Pontiac’s public schools – and 50 years since the traumatic bombing of ten school buses right as the school year was to begin,” said Mike McGuinness, Executive Director of the Oakland History Center.

“These past events have shaped our Oakland County communities, educational systems, and experiences of the adult learners we serve. They are connected to the educational inequalities we see today,” said Oakland Literacy Council Executive Director Lisa Machesky. “We are pleased to share this history with the broader community and thank Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union for supporting this event.”

“Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union strongly believes in the power of education and its ability to positively impact our communities. With that goal in mind, we are honored to serve as the presenting sponsor for the Oakland Literacy Council and Oakland History Center’s Pontiac history presentation. This program will examine an ugly moment in Pontiac’s history while illuminating the strides that have been made in the 50 years since,” said Ann Jones, MSGCU Vice President of Marketing and Business Development.

Those interested in attending can visit www.oaklandliteracy.com/pontiachistory to register or to find more  information.

 

Several of our U.S.-born students read at a very low level due to dyslexia or some other reading disability. This past summer, the Council invested in the Barton Reading & Spelling System, a proven curriculum designed specifically to overcome those challenges.

The curriculum, which can also be delivered remotely, is multi-sensory and phonics based. For example, students pull down colored tiles representing consonants or vowels to form words. They tap their fingers while repeating sounds and write on the screen. The lessons are carefully scripted, so volunteers know exactly what to say and do to build a foundation in phonics.

“It’s comprehensive,” says volunteer Lisa Heinze, who also draws upon her experience as a former elementary classroom aide to tutor a 20-year-old learner, who had a brain condition that impaired her cognitive abilities. The lessons, Lisa says, “are organized and easy to use.”

Oakland Literacy Council is working hard to bridge the “digital divide” in Oakland County, helping adults left behind because they lack technology, internet access, and computer skills.

The Council raised more than $100,000 in 2020 to hire a digital literacy coordinator, provide hardware and software, and deliver computer-skills training to adults in Oakland County. “We know that low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by a lack of digital access,” says Executive Director Lisa Machesky. “By helping adults bridge the digital divide, they can become fully literate, secure higher-paying jobs, and help their children learn.”

As part of this major initiative, adult learners receive laptops and complete the Northstar Digital Literacy curriculum to earn certificates demonstrating their computer proficiency–proof of job skills they can share with potential employers.

“This is something I’m doing to build myself up,” says Ms. Jackson, a Pontiac resident who never had a computer before. Now, she has weekly computer lessons with the digital literacy coordinator and online reading classes with a trained literacy tutor. She says she’s better able to support her children, who are doing online school from home.

Funding for this initiative came from the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, the Oakland County Library Board, Oakland Together Community Response and Recovery Fund, and the Lula Wilson Trust.

Spirits were bright in this Thursday conversation group! Students and facilitator Rebecca Moll joined together for a virtual holiday party.

The celebration actually started a few weeks ago. Each person in the group had a Secret Santa. They each filled out questionnaires so the Secret Santas would know more about their person. Instead of sending gifts, Secret Santas wrote letters and created something on the computer, such as a recipe or video.

At Thursday’s party, Secret Santas were revealed! Then students shared how they guessed (or not) their Secret Santas.  But the fun didn’t end there. They played online games, including Name that Tune, Charades, Catch Phrase, Scavenger Hunt, and Survey Says.  The group also shared holiday traditions.

Along with the joy of gathering together, the holiday party was a great opportunity for the students to practice reading, writing, speaking, and digital skills.

As of December, there were 15 conversation groups meeting weekly with trained Oakland Literacy Council facilitators. Group learning is an important supplement to one-on-one tutoring because it helps students gain skills more quickly and form friendships.