2024 Volunteer Hall of Fame

The 2024 Literacy Texas Annual Awards celebrated just some of the amazing literacy volunteers who give so much to Texas literacy programs.

2024 Volunteer Instructor Excellence

John Barton | Memorial Assistance Ministries

“John has consistently volunteered his time to teach fellow volunteers and students. He persisted through the shift to remote classes during the peak of Covid. Not only did he successfully make the transition to remote learning, he also led many of our ongoing training sessions. When we need volunteers, he is often open to committing to a second class. This involves teaching a total of 96 hours of instruction in one term!

It is difficult to measure the impact John has had on participants as his reach extends beyond his students to that of other instructors and to the program as a whole. He maintains the highest student retention rate which is a testament to his engaging style, and his students rave about him time and again.

Along with teaching and training, John volunteers during our triannual registration events as a verbal assessor. In that role, he is often one of the first faces our students see and he greets them with a genuine smile. This short but instrumental assessment provides the program an opportunity to determine where a student should start their ESL journey.”

2024 Volunteer Excellence

Barbara Noel | Neuhaus Education Center

“Barb Noel has professional dyslexia training and chooses to use her skills as a volunteer with adults. Neuhaus offers group classes to adults, and so Mrs. Noel is able to provide pull-out support to students who may need more 1:1 support with certain concepts.

In addition to her generosity of time and talent, Mrs. Noel has the quiet ability to help her students feel certain that they can learn to read and that she is there to give them the support and know-how that they need to do so. She works on a one-to-one basis with the students who need the most support. The students ask for time with her and come back to class expressing heart-felt thanks for her individualized help.”

2024 Lifetime Achievement Award

Joan Grigsby | Literacy ConneXus

“Joan Grigsby is one of the most dedicated leaders in adult literacy I’ve ever worked with. Her sincere desire to help students reach their full potential is the foundation of all she does. When she meets a new student, her warm encouragement is immediately evident, and the student knows, “This is someone who accepts me where I am and will walk beside me on this journey.” Joan’s tenacity in identifying and getting what her students need is second to none.

Joan is known as an advocate within her community and strives to serve people around her with a caring heart. She is authentic with her words and purposeful with her actions to make an impact in Fort Worth, and also set the standard for other literacy organizations across the state.

She has committed her life to education and helping others achieve their goals while faithfully carrying out the tasks set before her. Over the last ten years, Joan has passionately served as a program coordinator and tutor for LEARN for Life, an Adult Reading Tutorial Program, sponsored by the Tarrant Literacy Coalition and Literacy ConneXus. In this role, she presents training for state and local literacy organizations and serves as a mentor for students seeking support.

In addition to her work as an educator, she currently represents literacy as a member of the Workforce Development Board for Workforce Solutions in Tarrant County where she continues to advocate for services within her community.”

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Page updated 1/16/25

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