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.

Please contact us if you know an individual who is in need of literacy services. Referrals may be made to Raissa Reimer, our Student Services Coordinator, at reimer@winlit.org, or by calling 236-5219 x 4802.

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!

Celebrating 20 Years in 2009!

We have much to be thankful for as we enter into 2009. As we celebrate two decades of service in Winnebago County, we are proud of our student's accomplishments.

With your support, we hope to help hundreds more families in our next 20 years, as adult and family literacy remains a critical concern in our community and across the nation. But we need your help to do so.

We understand that these are tough economic times, so we want you to know that a gift of any amount can make a difference. Please consider donating just $20 per month in 2009 in honor of our 20 years of service in Winnebago County.

You may make monthly contribution to the Winnebago County Literacy Council by having funds from your savings or checking account automatically deposited to the WCLC. You simply decide on the amount you want to contribute, click on our the credit/debit authorization form, complete and return the form to us, and we'll do the rest!

Credit/Debit Authorization Form

Younker's Community Day

Saturday, Febuary 28, 2009

From now until February 28th, the Winnebago County Literacy Council is partnering with the Bon-Ton family of stores through the sale of coupon booklets, good toward store merchandise. With 100% of booklet sales benefiting the WCLC, you can feel good going shopping and great about giving back!

This valuable coupon booklet can be purchased for just $5 each, good toward great merchandise at the Bon-Ton family of stores during the special One Day Community Day Sale on February 28th.

What will customers receive in each booklet?With each $5 coupon booklet purchase, customers receive:

• One $10 coupon, good toward any item of $10 or more (exclusions apply)
• Eight additional coupons, each good for up to 20% off one item (exclusions apply)—in addition to our special One Day Sale prices.

Pick up your booklet at the Literacy Council office.

Questions, call Liz at 236-5185.

Support WCLC with Goodsearch.com and raise money!

What if the WCLC earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

Use http://www.goodsearch.com/ as your search engine - we earn a penny for every search you do.

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would ny search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter the Winnebago County Literacy Council as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

"We Care" Pick n' Save

You can support the WCLC each time you shop at Pick n' Save. Stop at the customer service desk and ask to have the WCLC account number (939250) assigned to your card. Each time you use your card we get a donation!

What's New

Tutor Resource

Grocery Shopping with Children

For any of you whose students have families, grocery shopping is sure to be a weekly activity and can be quite the undertaking with children along!  Experts agree, however, that grocery shopping with kids fosters skills they need for life.  School-age children can sharpen a variety of skills in the supermarket, including how to make wise food choices.

Working with your student to make the shopping trip a success can be a different and fun lesson plan! 

The important part is to plan ahead: 

1. Pick a time when their grocery list is not too long.  Talk about what meals and snacks they are shopping for and have their children make the list.
2. Assign specific tasks at the store such as checking items off the list as they are put in the cart, matching coupons you have to the items, etc.
3. Have a light snack before leaving for the store to ward off the “shopping when hungry breakdown”!
4. Have them give their children limited choices when possible.  e.g. “What color/type of apples would you like?” 
5. Older children can play detective, searching out certain items such as cereals that list a whole grain as the first ingredient. 

You could also incorporate nutrition and healthy eating, exercise, preparing and cooking skills, etc. into this lesson.  Have fun!

WCLC Board Member

Debbie Mosher

I work for US Bank - Consumer Loan and Lease Operations as a Loan and Lease Servicing Manager, VP in Oshkosh. I have been with US Bank for almost 9 years and in banking for 20 years. I manage a department of just over 60 employees that maintain customer accounts through payments, payoffs, address changes, remitting taxes on leased vehicles and monitoring flood and hazard insurance.

On a personal note I live in Green Bay and commute each day to Oshkosh. I have been married to my husband Stacy for almost 7 years and we have a 5 year old son Mitchell and 1 year old son Anthony. Besides being a busy "working mom" and living in the shadows of Lambeau field; we enjoy reading to our sons every night, camping during summer time and being very involved in my son's school.

Programs

Location:  Oshkosh Public Library

Dates: January 19th through the 22nd (Monday - Thursday)

Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Check our website, www.winlit.org, or contact us for 2009 training dates.

Location:  Oshkosh Public Library

Date: Saturday, January 31     

Time: 9:00am-1:30pm

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-ppropriate learning in an Early Learning Classroom at the same time.

The Family Literacy Program celebrated the holidays. We appreciate the continued support of the J.J. Keller Foundation and the Oshkosh Women's Fund. See the slide show.

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

Volunteer Spotlight

Marcie Wilson & Lou Yang

My name is Marcie Wilson and I've been an adult tutor since 2004 (I think.) During my time tutoring I've had many students with different backgrounds but with one common goal: to increase and expand their knowledge of the English language. Their knowledge of English has been as varied as the students but I think I'm safe in saying they know I 

want to help and will do everything I can to help them attain their goals.

I tutor because I was raised to believe that reading was THE most important skill one can develop. If you can read, all things are possible.  I have had the opportunity to travel to foreign countries where I didn't know the language and experienced what it was like to be totally lost, completely helpless and at the mercy of strangers. It was a horrible feeling; very isolating and scary. I try to impress upon my students that I am someone they may call when they need help - whenever!

When I learned that 40% of nine-year-olds read below grade level HERE in the United States I became a member of R.E.A.D. - Reading Education Assistance Dogs. Not only do I tutor ESL for adults but I am a strong proponent of reading for children. That's why I had my dog, Mariposa, 

trained as a R.E.A.D. dog; so we can visit the library and several local schools in order that the children can read to us! Mariposa makes a great listener when a parent, grandparent or other adult isn't available. I believe if we can teach our children to read while they are young there will be fewer adults who need our assistance. Someday my position will be obsolete!

My faith in my fellow man is renewed every time I meet with my students. I always learn something from my student. Sometimes it's a little of their language or a little about their culture; sometimes it's more personal. Her/his enthusiasm, determination to learn and to succeed never fails to lift my spirits and renew my belief that I am doing something worthwhile. I celebrate every single step we take together toward the completion of one of their goals. I look forward to the day they no longer need me to help them write a letter, read a book to their child or fill out a job application. It's also my saddest day when they move on, but I am so proud of them. I know life will be better and hopefully, a little easier for them.By tutoring, I never stop learning.That’s why I tutor and I return again and again.

Sorry to go on and on. As you can see, I feel passionately about what I do. Sometimes I'm more successful than others but I'll keep trying if they will.

Events

Who will be the 2009 Champions?

The Oshkosh Public Library Team Reclaims Their Title as the 2008 Bee Champs! Can they retain their title again this year? And will St. John Neumann Middle School Team be able to repeat?

You’re invited to join us at the Eighth 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 21, 2009 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.

Join us again in September 2009 for our 2nd Annual

Team Scrabble Fundraiser

Becket's Restaurant

City Center

Wanted!

Adult Literacy Tutoring Program

Cassette players with recording option

Blank cassette tapes

Family Literacy Program

Gift certificates to grocery stores to purchase snacks

Juice

Crackers

Napkins and paper plates

Play dough

Office Supplies

Dry eraser markers (wipe boards)

Copy paper

Manila file folders

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

Of Interest

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!

President-elect Obama and his Secretary of Education-designee Arne Duncan are both familiar with and very supportive of family literacy. This certainly bodes well for the Winnebago County Literacy Council.

Duncan oversaw the implementation of the Toyota Family Literacy Program while superintendent of Chicago Public Schools and experienced the power of family literacy firsthand. President-elect Obama supported family literacy while serving as a United States Senator, even requesting an earmark to expand family literacy in Chicago. Recently, on Meet the Press (December 7, 2008) he discussed that he and Mrs. Obama have a goal of wanting “to talk about parents reading to their kids.”

President-elect Obama clearly believes parents have the key to educational success. His support of literacy is longstanding. As stated during a library conference in 2005, “There is plenty that needs to be done to improve our schools and reform education, but this is not an issue in which we can just look to some experts in Washington to solve the problem… We know the more reading material kids are exposed to at home, the better they score with reading tests throughout their lives. So we have to make investments in family literacy programs and early childhood education so that kids aren’t left behind and are not already behind the day they arrive at school.”

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!