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Introduction to I2O + NEW Employability Soft Skills module

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SAVE THE DATE!

It’s a new year, and thanks to sponsorship from TCALL, the Intake to Outcomes (I2O) online instructor training platform is available to Texas Literacy nonprofits for another year. Read more about I2O here.

Join us for one or both parts of this special two-part introductory session:

Introduction to I2O + NEW Employability Soft Skills module

This online session will be held on Tuesday, January 17, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.
10:00 am – 10:30 am – General introduction to the I2O online training platform.
10:30 am – 11:00 am – Specific focus on the brand new module, “Employability Soft Skills.”

Register for this session by emailing Kathryn Bauchelle: [email protected]

Special thanks to:

Literacy New York

TCALL

The Texas Workforce Commission

See the whole calendar of Literacy Texas training sessions.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media:

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What Leaders Need – Fundraising Basics

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SAVE THE DATE – Wednesday, March 22, 2023

The “What Leaders Need” training series for new and emerging Texas literacy leaders is proud to present:

Basics of Fundraising: Practical Ideas for Small Programs

What we’ll cover:

  • Basics of fundraising for small shops
  • Stewardship, relationship-building, and other donor development
  • Authentic marketing through stories and more
  • Tips for grant-writing, reporting, and funding appeals

This online session will be held on Wednesday, March 22, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Online check-in will open 10 minutes before the session starts.

This training session is offered free of charge to nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.
The session provides 4 hours of professional development. Certificates will be awarded to attendees who request them after the session, via the post-event survey.

Registration will open soon and will be linked from this page.

About the Presenter: Vicki Clark

Vicki Clark is an optimist. She loves people and shows up in the world as a learner and a servant leader.

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Vicki has devoted the past 30 years of her career to building capacity of organizations and individuals; inspiring community and business leaders to take action. She is known for her work in the specialty areas of leadership development, inclusion and diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism assessment, training and facilitation, board development, strategic planning, volunteer resource development and effective communication. Her work spans dozens of corporate clients, nonprofits and government organizations.

She sits on numerous boards, including the National Diaper Bank, and is a regular trainer at community and leadership organizations such as United Way and the Association of Junior Leagues International. Her work as a consultant (at Vicki Clark Consulting), coach, trainer and speaker have given her infinite opportunities to learn from and share with people from all walks of life.

Vicki meets people where they are, never gives up, and believes in the power of prayer. Even at her age and with all that she has experienced, she continues to be A WORK IN PROGRESS.

Read more about the “What Leaders Need” training series.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

2023 Laredo Literacy Symposium

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SAVE THE DATE!

The 2023 Laredo Literacy Symposium is co-presented by Laredo College and Literacy Texas.

The symposium will be held on Thursday, June 15. Location, time, and all other details to be confirmed.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Special thanks to:

Laredo College

The Texas Center for Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)

The Texas Workforce Commission

Read more about the annual regional literacy symposia here.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Coffee With Literacy Texas

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Thanks for coming! This event is now over.

Meant to come and missed out? Look for other sessions coming up in the calendar!

—–

We’re trying something new!

Want to ask a question? Need some help or want some new ideas for your literacy program? Got some feedback or have a request for a What Leaders Need session or for the conference? Drop by this virtual session and chat with Steve Banta, Literacy Texas Executive Director, and Kathryn Bauchelle, Communications and Training Specialist.

Join us online on Thursday, January 12, any time between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. We’re looking forward to sharing a cup of (virtual) coffee with you and seeing where the conversation takes us!

 

Literacy Training: YOU decide the topic!

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SAVE THE DATE!

In response to your requests, Literacy Texas presents:

???  – you decide!

We’re using the results from our 2022-23 Needs Assessment to choose a topic of most relevance to the Texas literacy community.

This online session will be held on Tuesday, April 4, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.
Online check-in will open at 9:15 am and all other details are to be confirmed.

This training session is offered free of charge to nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

 

See the whole calendar of Literacy Texas training sessions.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

What Leaders Need – Telling Your Story

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Thank you so much for coming! This event is now over.

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Wednesday, January 25, 2023

The “What Leaders Need” training series for new and emerging Texas literacy leaders is proud to present:

Keeping it Real: Telling Your Story

What we’ll cover:

  • The importance of storytelling for nonprofits
  • Practical ways to use stories to make literacy personal to your supporters
  • Ethical and respectful ways to share personal stories and photos of people in your programs
  • How to use and reuse stories – in newsletters, on social media, in blog posts, in grant applications, and more

This online session will be held on Wednesday, January 25, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Online check-in will open at 8:20 am.

This training session is offered free of charge to nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.
The session provides 4 hours of professional development. Certificates will be awarded to attendees who request them after the session, via the post-event survey.

About the Presenter: Vicki Clark

Vicki Clark is an optimist. She loves people and shows up in the world as a learner and a servant leader.

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Vicki has devoted the past 30 years of her career to building capacity of organizations and individuals; inspiring community and business leaders to take action. She is known for her work in the specialty areas of leadership development, inclusion and diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism assessment, training and facilitation, board development, strategic planning, volunteer resource development and effective communication. Her work spans dozens of corporate clients, nonprofits and government organizations.

She sits on numerous boards, including the National Diaper Bank, and is a regular trainer at community and leadership organizations such as United Way and the Association of Junior Leagues International. Her work as a consultant (at Vicki Clark Consulting), coach, trainer and speaker have given her infinite opportunities to learn from and share with people from all walks of life.

Vicki meets people where they are, never gives up, and believes in the power of prayer. Even at her age and with all that she has experienced, she continues to be A WORK IN PROGRESS.

Read more about the “What Leaders Need” training series.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

An intriguing balance of abilities

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October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

Dyslexia is a learning difference, one that specifically affects language processing. 

Dyslexia is many things, and among them, it’s an intriguing balance of abilities.

“The advantage of dyslexia is that my brain puts information in my head in a different way.”
Whoopi Goldberg
Actor

Some basic facts about dyslexia

Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that affects reading and spelling ability, along with literacy skills development. It’s a different way of dealing with language in the brain. The most common form of dyslexia interrupts a student’s ability to split words into their component sounds, which makes sounding out words and spelling extremely challenging.

People are born with dyslexia, and it runs in families. It’s estimated that between 15 and 20% of Americans have some form of dyslexia, but the majority of people who have it don’t know that they do.

There’s more to dyslexia than getting words mixed up or out of order – and some people with dyslexia never even display this symptom. Since dyslexia affects how the brain processes language, someone might:

  • Memorize words but be unable to sound them out
  • Substitute words in sentences for other words that make sense
  • Have difficulty with handwriting
  • Show confusion with directions (left and right, before and after, over and under – this is where the reversal of “b” and “d” might show up, a symptom of dyslexia many people know)
  • Find recall difficult, especially for names and words
“If anyone ever puts you down for having dyslexia, don’t believe them. Being dyslexic can actually be a big advantage, and it has certainly helped me.”
Richard Branson
CEO, Virgin

Some distinct advantages

While dyslexia – especially when undiagnosed – can definitely cause people a lot of frustration and problems, there are some distinct advantages to the condition. People with dyslexia often have:

  • Heightened levels of creativity
  • Higher levels of intelligence
  • Greater artistic and mechanical abilities
  • Outside-the-box thinking
  • Ability to see the big picture and connect ideas
“I didn’t succeed despite my dyslexia, but because of it. It wasn’t my deficit, but my advantage. Although there are neurological trade-offs that require that I work creatively [and] smarter in reading, writing and speaking, I would never wish to be any other way than my awesome self. I love being me, regardless of the early challenges I faced.”
Scott Sonnon
Professional Athlete

Preparing for success

Perhaps most importantly – dyslexia needs specific interventions. The earlier a person is diagnosed with dyslexia and given personal help, the better, but it’s never too late.

Effective instruction for people with dyslexia is:

  • Personal to their specific needs, including in pace
  • Delivered one-on-one or in very small groups
  • Repetitive, to allow lots of practice and error correction
  • Positive and encouraging 
“Dyslexia is not a pigeonhole to say you can’t do anything. It is an opportunity and a possibility to learn differently. You have magical brains, they just process differently. Don’t feel like you should be held back by it.”
Princess Beatrice
UK royal family

Sources and further reading

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2023 East Texas Literacy Symposium

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SAVE THE DATE!

The 2023 East Texas Literacy Symposium is co-presented by the East Texas Literacy Council and Literacy Texas.

The symposium will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, in Longview, TX. Location and all other details to be confirmed.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Special thanks to:

East Texas Literacy Council

The Texas Center for Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)

The Texas Workforce Commission

Read more about the annual regional literacy symposia here.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

2023 South Texas Literacy Symposium

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The 2023 South Texas Literacy Symposium is co-presented by the South Texas Literacy Coalition and Literacy Texas.

The symposium will be held on

Saturday, February 25, from 8:45 am to 4:00 pm

on the UTRGV Campus, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg TX 78539.

The symposium is part of the annual UTRGV Festiba celebration and has the theme “Transforming our world through arts and literacy.”

Check-in for registered participants will open at 8:00 am and both breakfast and a working lunch will be provided.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Registration is open now

See the schedule outline below; detailed descriptions of the workshops will be linked here when confirmed.

Schedule

SYMPOSIUM OPENS: 8:00 am – 8:45 am
Check-in, breakfast, visit exhibitor and author tables

Session 1: 8:45 am – 9:30 am (45 min)
General Session – Ballroom

Greetings and introductions:
Dr. Dahlia Guerra, Founder/Director of FESTIBA, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Dr. Jeffrey Ward, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Kendra de la Garza, President, South Texas Literacy Coalition
Steve Banta, Executive Director, Literacy Texas

Session 2: 9:30 am – 10:15 am (45 min)
Panel Discussion

Session 3: 10:30 am – 11:30 am (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC
Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

BREAK: 11:30am – 12:00 pm
Visit exhibitor and author tables

WORKING LUNCH 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm (Ballroom)
Networking – “Trending Issues in Literacy”

Session 4: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

Session 5: 2:40 pm – 3:40 pm (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

SYMPOSIUM CLOSES: 3:40pm – 4:00 pm
Evaluation, wrap-up, door prizes

FAREWELL

Schedule will be kept as current as possible but is subject to change; check back here for updates

PD Certificates

Certificates of completion will be awarded after the event. Complete the survey after the symposium is finished to give your details and get your certificate.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: Directions & Parking

Click here for maps, directions, and parking information

Downloads:

Downloadable PDF copy of the schedule listed above is coming soon.

Download a flyer to display at your location or send to others who may be interested in attending

Special thanks to:

South Texas Literacy Coalition

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, College of Fine Arts

The Texas Center for Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)

The Texas Workforce Commission

Read more about the annual regional literacy symposia here.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Gulf Coast Symposium: The Evolution of Adult Education

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Thank you so much for coming! This event is now over.

The 2022 Fall Gulf Coast Literacy Symposium is co-presented by the Adult Education Center and Literacy Texas.

The symposium has the theme “The Evolution of Adult Education”, and will take place online on

Friday, November 18, 2022, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Check-in for registered participants will open at 8:30 am.

You’ll get the Zoom link via email when you register.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

See the schedule outline below; detailed descriptions of the workshops can be found here.

Schedule

Check-in online, welcome: 8:30 am – 9:00 am

Session 1: 9:00 am – 10:30 am (90 min)

“The Evolution of Adult Education: Transforming the Field of Today for Tomorrow’s Opportunities” – Jacqueline Aguilera, Mayor’s Office of Adult Literacy, Houston

“Setting Goals in the Adult Classroom: The Why & the How” – Kathryn Bauchelle, Literacy Texas

BREAK

Session 2: 10:45 am – 12:15 pm (90 min)

“LD Teaching Strategies for Math” – Connie Rivera, TERC

“How to Build a Flourishing Citizenship Program” – Pete Zagone, MAM

Lunch & Round Table: 12:15 pm – 12:45 pm (30 min)

Round Table discussion: “The Evolution of Adult Education”

BREAK

Session 3A: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (90 min)

“Numeracy Routines That Develop Language” – Connie Rivera, TERC

Session 3B: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (60 min)

“Breaking the Code: Helping Readers Understand How Words Work to Improve Reading Skills” – Sally Kubiak, Reading Specialist

Session 4: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (60 min)

“Working With Learners Who Have Dyslexia” – Lara Speights, Neuhaus Education Center

FAREWELL

Schedule will be kept as current as possible but is subject to change; check back here for updates

See full descriptions of each session along with presenter bios

Downloads:

Download a PDF copy of the schedule outline listed above.

Download a PDF copy of the full program.

Special thanks to:

TERC

Adult Education Center

The Texas Center for Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)

The Texas Workforce Commission

Read more about the annual regional literacy symposia here.

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

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