Hawaii Literacy seeks volunteers; listed by Hawaii Business as one of 6 great non-profits
Dennis and Claudia Dresser of Hawaii Literacy in Kauai train and match volunteer literacy tutors with adult students. Dennis and Claudia, along with a team of tutors, meet students one-on-one twice a week to conduct free tutoring sessions that are designed to meet students’ personal goals. Currently, the Kaua‘i branch is looking for English and bilingual speaking volunteer tutors to support students who speak little to no English. Tutors who speak Thai, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Ileana and Tagalog are especially needed. Volunteer tutors can help Hawaii Literacy on Oahu as well.
Also in the news, Hawaii Business highlights Hawaii Literacy’s “Assets-based approach” toward helping children recognize their strengths and take control over their own literacy education. Suzanne Skjold, executive director, uses the organization’s youth program as an example. Hawaii Literacy lets the children choose projects and how to implement them. Because the organization doesn’t emphasize their weaknesses, their strengths shine through. Older kids help younger ones. Poor kids work side by side with those who aren’t. (Hawaii Literacy doesn’t restrict its services to the poor.) All take ownership in the program.
Hawaii Literacy congratulates Scott Simon! June 17, 2010
Hawaii Literacy congratulates Scott Simon, President of our Board of Directors, on being selected in the 2010 FORTY UNDER 40 class. FORTY UNDER 40 is the annual recognition from Pacific Business News of the top emerging business leaders in Hawai`i. Scott is Assistant General Counsel for Hawaiian Telcom, a company well known for their great community involvement, and has served on the board of Hawaii Literacy since 2005. Scott’s deep dedication to community and family and the many generous ways he gives back were recognized in this well-deserved award. Scott joins Daniel Ho as the second member of our Board to be selected as a FORTY UNDER 40 finalist in the past two years
KHNL News Story: 1 in 6 Hawaii adults are functionally illiterate. August 16, 2009
The numbers are shocking, 1 in 6 adults in Hawaii cannot read or write even at a basic level. One Oahu man is struggling to not be one of those statistics. As he writes a new chapter in his life, one simple word at a time. It’s an easy reading exercise. But one Armando Nicdao never had. All the written English he ever learned, he learned in kindergarten over 35 years ago. “He knew his ABCs and 123s and had a command of the English language but that was just verbal,” said his tutor, Karl Duggan.
Read the full story at KHNL.com, August 16, 2009
Hawaii Literacy congratulates Daniel Ho! July 14, 2009
Hawaii Literacy congratulates Daniel Ho, Treasurer and member of our Board of Directors, on his selection as to the 2009 Class of FORTY UNDER 40! FORTY UNDER 40 is the annual recognition from Pacific Business News of the top emerging business leaders in Hawai`i. Daniel is president of Hawaii Self-Storage, the largest locally owned self-storage chain in Hawaii, and has served on the board of Hawaii Literacy since 2006. All who serve on the Board of Directors with Daniel, both past and present, admire his dedication and active service to the community, and the generosity of Hawaii Self-Storage to local literacy, education, and youth athletic organizations. This recognition is well deserved for Daniel, for the great business and community service contributions he and Hawaii Self-Storage make to the islands.
Hawaii Literacy Receives Local Grants to Support Bookmobile, July 2, 2009
Hawaii Literacy’s popular Bookmobile was selected as a recipient of the Weinberg Foundation’s “Christmas in July” project, which focuses on serving Hawai`i’s poor and needy and was also recently been awarded generous support from the Pizza Hut Literacy Fund, Kahuku Community Fund, and Aloha Petroleum. Last year, over 1,000 children and families along the Wai`anae and Ko`olauloa coasts visited the Bookmobile, also known as the “Classroom on Wheels,” which provides a free book borrowing service, on-site and take home literacy activities, and referrals for adults seeking to improve their literacy skills.
“The Bookmobile is very popular with the youth in the communities it serves”, said Suzanne Skjold, Hawaii Literacy’s Executive Director. “This support means that Hawaii Literacy will be able to offer free book lending and reading and educational activities each week at locations like the Nanakuli and Waianae Boys and Girls Clubs, Kauiokalani Public Housing Project, and Ha’ula Headstart. We are grateful for this support from major foundations like the Weinberg Foundation and Hawai’i Community Foundation as well as corporate partners like Aloha Petroleum, and so many others in the community.” Approximately 1 in 4 adults in some communities in rural O’ahu do not have adequate literacy skills, and many families do not have easy access to libraries or other educational services, so the Bookmobile travels to them. The Bookmobile is open to all, and parents are encouraged to visit with their children, and pick up books and ideas for helping their children develop a love of reading and success in school.
Hawaii Literacy Receives Grants to Support Adult Literacy and Family Literacy Programs, June 16, 2009
Two Hawaii Literacy programs, Adult Literacy and Family Literacy, have received grants from the Atherton Family Foundation and the City and County of Honolulu.
The generous support provided by the Atherton Family Foundation will allow the Adult Literacy Program to expand its services to reach more of the approximately 150,000 adults in Hawai’i who lack basic literacy skills, including nearly 115, 000 on O’ahu. Hawaii Literacy’s Adult Literacy Program trains and supports volunteers to provide one-on-one no cost tutoring in reading and writing for any interested adult who needs help on O’ahu and Kaua’i.
Hawaii Literacy would like to thank the Mayor and the City and County of Honolulu for awarding Hawaii Literacy Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. This federal funding will be used to support the Family Literacy Libraries in Kuhio Park Terrace and Mayor Wright Housing. These libraries offer children, teens, and adult residents a safe place to access and borrow books, use computers, receive homework help, and engage in activities that promote health and well-being.
Hundreds of thousands of your neighbors need help.
One out of five people in Hawai’i cannot read this sentence. That means they also can’t read menus or road signs. They can’t fill out job applications or help their children with homework.
Article in HonoluluWeekly.com, 11/5/08
BJ Penn Teams Up To Support Hawaii Literacy
B.J. Penn, MMAHawaii, and Barnes & Noble, Team Up To Support Hawaii Literacy
Article in MMAHawaii.com, 6/28/08
Borders Bookstore promote Hawaii Literacy program
Borders stores on Oahu will be collecting new books and promoting the Hawaii Literacy program throughout the month of August.
Article in HonoluluAdvertiser.com, 7/31/07
Leeward Coast Children Get Their Bookmobile Back
Leeward coast children finally get their bookmobile back, after a five-month absence.
A New And Improved Bookmobile Gets Ready For Its Debut
A popular bookmobile on the Waianae coast has been grounded since December. The old van housing it died, but thanks to community support, it gets a new lease on life.
Leeward Kids Want Their Bookmobile Back
A library on wheels has spread literacy to kids and adults on the Waianae Coast, but it’s been immobile for about a month.
Mind Meals on Wheels
Hawai‘i Literacy’s traveling library delivers books to children and families on the Wai‘anae coast.
Article in HonoluluMagazine.com, 10/10/06
A small Hawaii nonprofit to make others see green
Hawaii Literacy will be the envy of all the nonprofits next year. It has been selected to receive a year’s worth of free advertising and public relations services from Ad2 Honolulu, itself a nonprofit organization of advertising professionals aged 32 and younger. The campaign is estimated to be worth $500,000.
Article in Starbulletin.com, 10/26/03
Man honored for literacy
Fifty-nine-year-old David Trimm — illiterate since leaving school in the eighth grade — has written to both a brother he hasn’t spoken to in 30 years and to President Bush using new reading skills he acquired last year.
