Winnebago County
Literacy Council

"We teach so others may reach"

106 Washington Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54901
920.236.5185
www.winlit.org

The Winnebago County Literacy Council (WCLC) has been providing literacy services to adults throughout Winnebago County since its inception in 1989. The primary focus of the agency is to provide one-to-one tutoring opportunities to adults reading at or below a fourth-grade level. The WCLC utilizes trained volunteer tutors to teach adult students how to read and apply basic survival literacy skills to everyday life.

New Benefactors!

Each month, we acknowledge our new or renewing benefactors. These are hard working business people and friends who are willing to share their resources to see the Winnebago County Literacy Council and its programs grow.
To view the list of new or renewing benefactors, click here!

Support WCLC with Goodsearch.com and raise money!

Give to charity just by searching the internet. An easy way to help us is through a new Yahoo!-powered search engine called GoodSearch.com. GoodSearch will make a one cent donation to the WCLC every time you search the internet. Simply go to www.goodsearch.com, and under "Who do you search for" select Winnebago County Literacy Council - WCLC (Oshkosh, WI). The more people who use this site, the more money will go to the WCLC, so please spread the word to your friends and family!

What's New

WCLC Board Member

Bernard Olejniczak

            Winnebago County Literacy Council

Bernard Olejniczak has been on the Winnebago County Literacy Board since 2003. He served as board president from 2005-2006.  Bernie brings excellent organization and management skills to the board. His is a career educator, having been a teacher, counselor, principal, served as the administrative assistant for policy development and publications and was elected vice-president of the board of education. While at UW Oshkosh he taught classes in instructional technology, presented workshops, and currently serves on the curriculum committee of Learning in Retirement.

“As a former UW Oshkosh faculty member, I was expected to participate in community service. The Winnebago Literacy Council draws on my professional background and contributes to my personal growth. While employed as an educator in the Pulaski Community Schools we were also expected to contribute service to local organizations. Hence, my involvement with the Brown County Library Board and the Nicolet Federated System.”

In 1999 Bernie was named one of the "100 Most Interesting of the Century" by the Green Bay Press-Gazette and received the Professional Writing Award from the Wisconsin Counseling Association. Bernie has been recognized for his contributions to other organizations including being awarded the Wisconsin Library Association Trustee-of-the-Year for his 14 years of leadership on the Brown County Library Board and Nicolet Federated Library System Board, the Distinguished Educator Award at St. Norbert College, was named by the Chancellor to the Principals Academy Board at University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and was named the Outstanding Journalism Teacher by the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Education.

Bernie is married to Dr. Peg Olson and has four children: Ann Allen, Mary Waldecker, Patrick Olejniczak and Tom Olejniczak.

Please Welcome Our Newest Staff Member!

Welcome to Nancy Roebke who started November 20th.  Nancy will be responsible for both adult and child tutor training, as well as providing adult classroom instruction in the ELL Family Literacy Program and VESL lab instruction to clients in need of improving job-related literacy skills. She'll be a resource for both adult and child tutors. She's looking forward to working with members of the community who want to tutor adults and children in reading and communication skills. 

Nancy grew up in northeastern Wisconsin on a dairy farm and has fond memories of working at an EAA foodstand during the mid-eighties.  After college and graduate school, she volunteered and worked in Eastern Europe with her husband.  They and their two children returned four years ago to the United States after being in Bulgaria for nearly ten years. 

“I cry every time I sing the National Anthem.  I sometimes am so amazed about the opportunities we have here as Americans.  We have a wonderful chance to help those less fortunate than ourselves, whether they speak English or another language.  It just requires a little time and attention from people who want to make a difference.” 

To contact Nancy, call (920) 236-5219 ext. 4830 or e-mail her at Roebke@winlit.org at the Winnebago County Literacy Council at the Oshkosh Public Library.

Programs

Date:   Wednesday Dec. 19th

Time:   9:00am-1:00pm

Location:  Oshkosh Public Library, 3rd floor training room

Help open someone's world to opportunities once never thought possible.
Give the gift of reading -- register for a workshop today!!!

One-on-One Literacy Tutoring

WCLC provides one-to-one tutoring opportunities to adults and families in the areas of Basic Literacy, ESL, Family Literacy, Math, Workplace Literacy, and Citizenship.

One-on-One Family Literacy Tutoring Program

WCLC will train volunteer tutors to work with families at the library, in their homes, or another mutually agreed upon location in order to improve literacy levels and promote learning together as a family. This program hopes to empower parents to see themselves as their child’s first and best teacher.

Family Literacy Program

The Family Literacy Program serves refugee families needing to learn survival English. This Family literacy Program provides an Adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for parents while their children received age-appropriate learning in an Early Learning Classroom at the same time.

For information on any of these programs, contact Raissa Reimer at reimer@winlit.org or call 236-5219 ext. 4802.

Events

You’re invited to join us at the Seventh Annual Corporate and Middle School Spelling Bee, entitled, “How Do You Spell Chocolate?” This fun competition, with a free chocolate sampling and silent auction will take place on February 16, 2008 at the Oshkosh Public Library.
It’s a great, grownup spelling bee with rules, and judges, and a spell caller just waiting to trip you up on a difficult word! The winning team will receive a trophy and plaque; the plaque will be a “traveling” plaque that will follow the winners of future spelling bees. To register your team call 920.236.5185.

Interested in being a sponsor of this year’s event? Several sponsorship levels are still available.

Volunteer Spotlight

Each month we will spotlight a WCLC volunteer for their commitment to the Council, but more importantly, for their commitment to the student they tutor.

Chris Lang has been a tutor for the Literacy Council since May 2005. She tutors one-on-one and has been very involved with the WCLC's Family Literacy Program where she works with adult learners both individually and in groups. Chris graciously expanded her volunteering duties when we were in need and her dedication to our students is truly admirable. Her skills, time and effort are very much appreciated!

Wanted!

Adult Literacy Tutoring Program

Magnifying Reading Bars (5)

Cassette player with recording option

Blank cassette tapes

Family Literacy Program

Gift certificates to grocery stores to purchase snacks

Small to medium size foam or Dixie cups

Napkins and paper plates

Office Supplies

Post-it notes

Paper shredder

Dry eraser markers (wipe boards)

Copy paper

Lined-paper for writing exercises

Manila file folders

Binders 3 inch

Black and color ink cartridges (Black is 96 Color is 97)

Of Interest

A recent report from the University of Connecticut states that the cost of low health literacy to the United States economy is in the range of $106 billion to $236 billion annually. According to the report, Low Health Literacy: Implications for National Health Policy, the savings that could be achieved by improving health literacy translates into enough funds to insure every one of the more than 47 million persons who lacked coverage in the United States in 2006, according to recent Census Bureau estimates(1). "Health literacy" is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information. According to the U.S. Department of Education's 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), which contained a health literacy component for the first time, 36 percent of the adult U.S. population -- approximately 87 million people -- has only Basic or Below Basic health literacy levels. Persons with Basic health literacy would have trouble, even when using information from a clearly written, accurate pamphlet, providing two reasons why persons with certain symptoms might have a specified test. Individuals considered to have Below Basic health literacy would not be able to recognize a medical appointment on a hospital appointment form, nor would they be able to determine from a clearly written pamphlet containing basic information how often a person might have a specified medical test. "Our findings suggest that low health literacy exacts enormous costs on both the health system and society, and that current expenditures could be far better directed through a commitment to improving health literacy," said John A. Vernon, PhD, Department of Finance, University of Connecticut, and lead author of the report. Public policy plays an important role in addressing low health literacy and its effects. Conversely, the failure to act carries high costs in terms of individual health, healthcare spending, and the economic well-being of the nation as a whole. "Providing the U.S. population with access to affordable coverage creates a more level playing field among those who are and are not health literate. It is particularly challenging to improve literacy among populations who lack affordable access to timely and appropriate health care," says Sara Rosenbaum, JD, The Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and Chair of the Department of Health Policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. The report findings highlight two basic types of health policy interventions. The first is elimination of disparities in health insurance coverage. The second focuses on specific actions to improve the ways in which health insurers and healthcare providers relate to and interact with patients. "An individual's health literacy skills have a profound impact on his or her ability to manage a chronic illness, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. If an individual understands and can act upon medical instructions, unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations can be reduced, which in turn lowers overall healthcare costs," says Barbara DeBuono, MD, MPH, Executive Director, Public Health and Government, Pfizer Inc. The health literacy report was supported by a research grant from Pfizer.

Business or articles of interest to the WCLC readership.

Do you have an article or item of interest to the business or education community that will benefit our tutors or students? We'd enjoy your input! This is a great way to spotlight your company, message or name! Contact Liz Rice Janzen!

Contact Us!

The easiest way to contact us is using email - you've seen our email address throughout - that of Liz Rice Janzen! Our phone number and mail address are:

920.236.5185 phone
920.236.5227 fax
106 Washington Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54901

Closing Notes:

Winnebago County Literacy Council relies exclusively on volunteers and gifts from our community to serve in our community. If you are willing to volunteer time or give a gift of money, thank you!