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!

 



Tom Pozorski, District Director; Neil Romenesko, Store Director, Pick 'n Save North; Liz Rice Janzen, WCLC Executive Director; Jay Forcey,Store Director Pick 'n Save/Koeller & 20t; Frank Jozefowski, Copps Store Director; Jeff Guenther, Assistant Store Director, Pick 'n Save North

 On January 17, 2008, Pick ’n Save and Copps store directors in Oshkosh presented a $6,500 check on behalf of the Roundy’s Foundation to the Winnebago County Literacy Council (WCLC).  The presentation took place at Pick ’n Save, located at 1900 Jackson Street in Oshkosh with district director Tom Pozorski, store manager Neil Romenesko,  Pick ’n Save/Koeller & 20th manager, Jay Forcey and Frank Jozefkowski, Copps store manager.

“Reading is a critical skill for adults and children to have so they can be successful in our society,” said Bob Mariano, chairman of the Roundy’s Foundation and Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc.  “The Winnebago County Literacy Council does a tremendous job in providing families with this basic skill, and we are happy to help support its efforts.”

The Roundy’s Foundation grant will help provide basic literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) one-on-one literacy tutoring to165 clients served by the WCLC.  WCLC has been providing literacy services to adults since 1989.  It started small with 10 student-tutor matches but now serves roughly 200 clients with 80 tutors each month.  

This is the foundation’s fourth grant awarded to WCLC.  In 2004, the foundation gave the organization $2,500.  It awarded $5,000 in both 2005 and 2006.   WCLC’s executive director, Liz Rice Janzen accepted the grant valued at $6,500.

About Roundy’s Foundation

Chartered in August 2003, the Roundy’s Foundation was created to further strengthen the commitment Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc. has to the communities in which it serves.  Roundy’s Pick ‘n Save, Copps and Metro Market stores are found throughout Wisconsin.  Our Rainbow stores serve our customers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.  The Roundy’s Foundation is dedicated to hunger relief, families in crisis and literacy, and since its inception has given more than $1,000,000 to organizations focused on community service in those areas of need.  Major grant recipients include food banks, women and family violence shelters and literacy programs throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. 

Giving to the WCLC is Easier in 2008!

Beginning in 2008 you may make a 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

New Partners!

Three Heritage Makers consultants are pleased to announce they will be donating 25% of their profits to the Literacy Council for sales generated through people, parties, and events associated with the Literacy Council.  Heritage Makers is a web-based system of creating your own hardcover, professionally-published storybooks, posters, calendars, and cards.  For more information, visit www.AStoryToHold.com or email Carolyn Dargevics at cadargevics@yahoo.com.  You may also phone the consultants: Kate Thome at 920-379-0616, Rhonda Gustafson at 920-740-4277, and Carolyn Dargevics at 920-203-3610.

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

Tutor Resource

Looking for a good website with ideas and literacy tools to use? Check out http://www.thinkfinity.org/home.aspx.

WCLC Board Member

Gini Davis

            Winnebago County Literacy Council

Gini Davis has been an adhoc member of the Winnebago County Literacy Board since October 2007. Gini is the Director of Quality/Medical Staff Services at Aurora Medical Center. She joined Aurora in August 2003 just before the hospital opened. She was attracted to Aurora's philosophy of patient-centered care and their commitment to excellence. She is responsible for the areas of quality, risk management, infection control, case management, medical staff services, and medical records. Gini is a nurse with over 30 years of healthcare experience that includes direct patient care, management and education. She received her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Illinois and her Master's Degree in Nursing from the University of Nebraska. She is married to Chuck, who is a Methodist pastor. They have three married daughters. Leisure activities include boating and activities with their eight grandchildren.

Lighted School House Partnership

Currently the Webster Stanley Lighted School House Program (LSH) partners with the Winnebago Literacy Council to provide programming for ESL families in Oshkosh.  ESL families from the Oshkosh area meet weekly to receive services and programming that deal with literacy and parenting skills.  On-site child care is provided as well as family activities.

The Lighted School House Program receives funding from a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant.  The funding allows K-5 students homework help and enrichment opportunities after school four nights a week.  The program runs from 2:45-5:00 p.m. at Webster Stanley Elementary School.  Currently there are around 75 students receiving services.  Each day, students begin with a nutritious snack and then receive one hour of homework help along with learning games that promote math and literacy skills followed by one hour of enrichment options.  Enrichment opportunities take place with the help of many community partners such as the Boys and Girls Club, 4-H, Red Cross, UW Extension, Junior Achievement, UWO Guidance Department, YMCA, and the Oshkosh Karate Club.  Students are exposed to a variety of activities that include: cooking, sewing, knitting, safety skills, physical fitness activities, karate and economics. 

If anyone has any questions about the program or is interested in volunteering, please contact Sarah Poquette at 920-424-0460 or by email sarah.poquette@oshkosh.k12.wi.us 

Programs

Dates:  Febuary 9th & 10th (Saturday & Sunday)

Time:   9:00am-5pm (Saturday): 9am- 1pm (Sunday)

Location:  Oshkosh Public Library, 3rd floor training room

Dates:  March 4, 6 11 and 13 (Tuesdays & Thursdays)

Time:   9:00am-12 pm

Location:  Oshkosh Public Library, 3rd floor training room

Dates: Wednesday January 23, 2008

Saturday Febraury , 2008

Wednesday March 12, 2008

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. We are also looking for items for our silent auction. Contact us if you would like to make a donation.

Coming this fall, our 1st Annual

SCRABBLE BEE

Watch for details in upcoming issues

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.

Natalie Verwiel

I’ve been a volunteer with the Winnebago County Literacy Council for the past year to give some time to helping in the community.  When at the Literacy Council I help with data entry, filing, copying, mailings, and telephoning new tutors regarding any questions or concerns they may have.  I do the bulletin boards as well.  I enjoy the variety of work and the enthusiasm and commitment of the staff to literacy in the community.

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

Play dough

Office Supplies

Post-it notes

Paper shredder

Dry eraser markers (wipe boards)

Copy paper

Manila file folders

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

Of Interest

The National Adult Literacy Survey reveals that in Winnebago County, 12,000 adults read at Literacy Level 1, not being able to correctly fill out a simple application, accurately read a road map, or locate two pieces of information in a newspaper article. (Source: National Institute for Literacy, NALS 1998) Statistics from the 2000 census indicate that: 1) In Winnebago County there are 13,142 people who are 25 years and older who have not received their high school diploma or its equivalency. 2) In the cities of Neenah and Menasha combined, there are 3,286 people who are age 25 and older who have not earned a high school diploma or its equivalency.

Low literacy skills impact both employers and employees. For employers, productivity and profit are often diminished when employees lack sufficient skills to communicate or keep pace with new procedures and technologies.

According to a National Association of Manufacturers report, 40% of manufacturers say one of the principal reasons they cannot implement new productivity improvements is their employees' lack of reading, writing, math, or communication skills. (Source: The Skills Gap 2001, National Association of Manufacturers)

For employees, low literacy skills keep them from fully participating in the workforce and earning higher wages.
In the 1950s, when the United States had primarily a manufacturing-based economy, 60% of the workforce was considered unskilled. Now only 20% of the workforce is considered unskilled. It is estimated that job applicants who lack high school level skills qualify for only 10% of all new jobs. (Source: Office of Vocational Education, U.S. Department of Education) Unemployment rates increase as literacy skills decrease. The 1999 unemployment rate for adults 25 and older without a high school diploma was twice that of adults with a high school education and three times that of college graduates. (Source: Digest of Educational Statistics) A geater economic impact is seen with those students who have received their GED and have one year of post high school education.

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!