Lending a Hand for Literacy: Joining the Board of the Literacy Coalition of Greater New Haven

We must work together to ensure all students can read and write in the 21st century. Too many students and adults across th wealthiest nation int he world can not read this post.

This holds true in New Haven. Something needs to change.

Read flickr photo by aftab. shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license

Since we  recognize literacy as a social practice we must also recognize that education extends far beyond the classroom walls. In order to do my part I am joining the board of directors of The Literacy Coalition of Greater New Haven.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Literacy Coalition of Greater New Haven is to promote, support and advance literacy in the region.

The organization has lofty and important goals.

• Support literacy for all ages;
• Attract additional volunteers as reading tutors, computer instructors, grant-writers, office assistants, and more;
• Build financial resources of participating organizations by linking them to donors;
• Collect and disseminate information about area literacy initiatives;
• Collaborate with area literacy organizations;
• Promote the professional development of literacy providers; and
• Inform learners about the resources of those providers and how to get help.

My Goals

Personally I want to use my tenure on the board to ensure we prepare students to read, write, and participate on the web. When you look at access and quality of screen time we seem to be recreating the inequities of the last century for a new digital era. Something must be done.

I also want to focus on making Greater New Haven the campus for New Haven Public Schools and Higher Education students in the city. This involves developing data systems that allow us to track additional supports students receive from non-profit organizations. This can be done with a city wide credentialing program that connects back to k12 schools.