Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Volunteers Certified In Laubach Program

Fresh volunteers for new readers have been trained and placed with waiting adults enrolled in the Southwest Arkansas Development Council's (SWADC) literacy program in Nevada, Hempstead and Lafayette Counties.

According to Literacy Outreach worker Teri Hughes, "Five innovative and energetic women answered the call for volunteers to be certified as Laubach reading tutors. These five quickly went to work, but the literacy program still has adult students waiting for trained tutors in order for their literacy lessons to start."

There is a growing number of adults who want to sharpen their basic skills.

Some want to apply for work with an industry that requires an employment exam that tests basic reading, workplace math and higher level reasoning. Others want to brush-up on skills before they enter a GED class. Plus, there are adults who were never able to complete their education because their families needed them to go to work while they were still young.

"There are many reasons," Hughes added, "but there is one thing all adult students have in common, and that is courage. Courage to step forward to ask for help with literacy skills that a lot of us take for granted."

Southwest Arkansas Development Council's literacy program is open to any adult. To become a volunteer tutor all you need to do is read well and desire to help others.

"There is still a great need for volunteers to be trained as a tutor," Hughes said.

The success of literacy, a vital link to a better future for any community, relies on community involvement and support. "To keep books on hand, train volunteers and meet the growing need for basic literacy in our area," Hughes said, "the Literacy Program asks for everyone to think about more than just what this program offers its students, but also what can each person do to make it all possible."

To join with the SWADC literacy program as a tutor, or a volunteer committee member, or as an office volunteer, contact Teri Hughes at 887-5536.