Diane Shimota

During the pandemic, many libraries and adult literacy programs in California closed. Determined to meet the needs of adult learners, the Redlands Adult Literacy Program continued to provide services throughout the pandemic. While a few adult learners found that distance learning during the pandemic was too much of a challenge and took a break from their literacy studies, many former and new learners have recently joined the adult literacy program with a renewed focus on improving their reading and writing.

Newly established reading and writing requirements at their jobs prompted several of the new learners to join the literacy program. Some people joined the literacy program to better their writing skills before applying to college. One learner is working with a tutor to gain proficiency in the civics and literacy skills required for her citizenship interview, and several new learners want to be able to read stories to their children and help them with homework.

So far this fiscal year, over 30 tutors and learners have been matched. Tutor training and tutor-learner workshops are in full swing to support adult learners in reaching their goals.

One of the program’s new learners is Alexandra Suarez who joined the Redlands Adult Literacy Program last year. Alexandra’s goals are to become more involved in the community, build her vocabulary, read books with understanding, and support her children in their school work. As a mother, she understands that reading is important for the entire family.

Working with her tutor, Barbara Vester, Alexandra has learned valuable literacy skills. Alexandra’s reading comprehension has improved and she has seen significant improvement in her writing skills. She participated in the Writer-to-Writer Challenge for adult learners last year and was selected as a runner-up in the Southern California competition. She uses writing strategies that she learned from her tutor to support her daughter with schoolwork; and with her guidance, Alexandra’s young daughter has also become a good writer. A.K. Smiley Public Library is her children’s second home; they participate in weekly story time events and the Family Literacy Program, an offshoot of the Adult Literacy Program.

Alexandra always wanted to help in the community, but before joining the Adult Literacy Program she did not feel comfortable going to her daughter’s school to volunteer. With her new literacy skills, Alexandra is confident in her communication skills and she volunteers regularly at her daughter’s elementary school. Participating in the literacy program has let her know that she can help others and she sees herself in a new way. Alexandra encourages people to join the Adult Literacy Program because participants will see the changes in themselves and their families.

Barbara Vester, Alexandra’s tutor, says that by volunteering with the literacy program she is able to see how the impact of her service has helped change her learner’s life. Alexandra has become an engaged member of the community, she is better able to support her children with homework, and she has gained the confidence to live a life that she finds more fulfilling.

As the literacy program grows, the demand for tutors increases and more volunteers are needed. Would you like to help someone learn to read and write? Consider attending and inviting someone you know to come to the next volunteer tutor orientation scheduled for Wednesday, May 3, at 6:00 p.m. in the Library Assembly Room. If you have questions or plan to attend the tutor orientation, please call Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coordinator, at (909) 798-7565 ext. 4138, or email literacy@akspl.org. If you know of someone who needs help in reading and writing, help them make the first step in changing their lives by encouraging them to contact Diane Shimota. All literacy services are free and confidential.

The Redlands community is invited to join the Adult Literacy Program in its “Celebration of Authors.” Adult Learners will read from their works which were published in the adult literacy anthology, Our Stories, a Collection of Writings. Community leaders, including Mayor Paul Barich and Library Trustee Kate Pretorius, will describe their own literacy journeys, and the life-changing impact of literacy. The community of Redlands is invited to this festive event in gratitude for their continued support of adult literacy, particularly through the difficult years of the pandemic. The celebration will be held on September 25, 2022, beginning at 2:00 p.m., in the Contemporary Club. Registration is required.

The 2022 edition of Our Stories, a Collection of Writings, is the fifth anthology published by the Redlands Adult Literacy Program. This year, Mark Corrin, one of four authors who have submitted writings to all five volumes of the anthology, wrote “My Work at Martha Green’s.” In his story Mark wrote about starting work at the age of 20, and how much he loves his job, his customers and co-workers, and even his favorite menu item at Martha Green’s.

Ma, Isabel Vidrio has also published works in each of the five anthologies. This year she wrote two stories: one to R.J. Palacio, the author of the book, White Bird, and another personal story about a fire in her kitchen. Mark and Isabel have shown tremendous growth in their ability to express themselves. Their writings are a gift to the community.

Many adults who enroll in the Redlands Adult Literacy Program are anxious about their writing skills. The Redlands Adult Literacy Program uses multiple strategies to address this common concern and to help learners develop the skills needed for employment and communication with teachers, family, and friends. For example, tutors and learners use dialog journals to write short messages to one another. Computer classes integrate writing with technology lessons. Literacy teams practice steps in the writing process, beginning with brainstorming ideas and continuing through the final steps of editing and then publishing their writings. Topic ideas are generated through picture books, poem templates, story starters, and conversation.

Each edition of Our Stories, a Collection of Writings honors the hard work of the learners and tutors by including the unique stories of learners in the program. The 2022 anthology includes selections on learners’ memories, experiences that have changed them, captured moments, and reflections on books learners have read. This volume also includes a new selection of group submissions from adult literacy computer classes and collaborative stories from children participating in the Family Literacy Program.

Joan Wells, chair of the Adult Literacy Anthology Committee, shared her thoughts about the literacy anthology, “As I reflect upon the writings in Our Stories over the past five years, I’m inspired by the journeys that have led learners to our adult literacy community and resulted in so many accomplishments. Some have grown up in Redlands. Others have traveled great distances and across cultures to join us. All have demonstrated resilience and a dedication to learning. Similarly, our tutors come from many backgrounds, joining the community to give back through their love of reading and writing. Working together, learners and tutors have given the community five volumes of authentic essays, reflections, and poems. Their literacy journeys enhance our own as they make real the library’s mission to serve as a center for lifelong learning for which “the only admission fee is curiosity.””

We look forward to sharing Our Stories, a Collection of Writings, Volume 5 with the Redlands community at the September 25^th Celebration of Authors. Registration for the event is required and will begin on September 1, 2022. Registration is free and information will be found at www.akspl.org.

The Redlands Adult Literacy Program relies on its wonderful volunteer tutors to provide one-on-on tutoring to adults in our community. The next volunteer tutor orientation is scheduled for October 12, 2022 at 6 p.m. at the library. Perhaps you know of someone who needs help in reading and writing, please encourage them to take the first step in changing their lives by contacting the Redlands Adult Literacy Program. If you have any questions about the Celebration of Authors, are interested in becoming a tutor, or would like literacy services, please contact Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coordinator, with the Redlands Adult Literacy Program at (909) 798-7565 ext. 4138 or email literacy@akspl.org. Literacy services are free and confidential.