Greetings from the Newberry County Literacy Council. Fall brings a renewal of activities and programs and also some exciting new ventures. We will be adding classes in texting, computer literacy, and school success for parents and their children. Some of these are described below. Watch for announcements. The People’s College resumed on September 9 at 5:30 p.m. The topic for fall will be a focus on the environment. We will read two books: the first is American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee, the story of the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone Park. I mentioned this book in a previous column after I read it this summer and found it an incredible account. The second book is What We Know About Climate Change by Kerry Emanuel, a professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT. We will also read essays by and about Rachel Carson, a marine biologist who wrote the acclaimed book, Silent Spring, in 1962. Its warning about the indiscriminate use of pesticides and other threats to the environment played a leading role in the emerging environmental movement.

On September 10, at 11:00 a.m, The Weekly Reader Book Club swung into action again. Our book, we think, will be either Beloved or Jazz, both by Toni Morrison. To participate in the People’s College or the Weekly Readers, contact Barbara Chapman at 276-8086.

The Council will also hold some fundraising events this fall. We are a non-profit and offer most of our programming at no cost. Because one of our major donors reduced funding for us this year, we are in an especially challenging position. So be on the lookout for events that will help sustain our programming.

One area of programming that we will focus on this year is digital literacy. For example, we know that finding a job can be difficult for those without computer skills so we are working on a program that would provide assistance with computer operation, resume building, and on-line applications. This program will be coordinated with other agencies involved in job placement. Computer skills are also increasingly important in an age when communication, shopping, banking, health care, entertainment, and information searching depend on access to and ability to use computers and smart phones. We know that the need for training in all types of literacy are significant in our county. Almost 20 percent of county residents and 30 percent of city residents are below the poverty line. Approximately 23 percent of county adults and 29 percent of city adults do not have a high school degree. Many of these people do not have good access to computers and the internet. We would like the Literacy Council to be a place where they can learn about and use computers and smart phones for texting, emailing, constructing resumes, and applying for jobs.

We would also like the Council to be a place for parent-child education growth. Because of the reduction in our funding, the Saturday Academy we offered last year at Newberry Elementary will not be held. We are working on a plan to continue these efforts at the Council office, bringing parents and their young children in for sessions that help both navigate the world of schools and education.

We will continue to promote literacy as part of a healthy personal and social life. The People’s College and the Weekly Reader Book Club have been very successful in promoting reading for both education and pleasure. They bring people together to read and discuss important literature, ideas, and events. They are designed to educate and enlighten but they also bring the pleasure of common readings and discussions to all. And they both contribute to an ability and desire to be engaged in the community and the world as enlightened citizens.

We would also like to continue our sponsorship of travel as a component of literacy. The trips we have sponsored over the past year have been successful in linking readers in our programs with places we have read about. We attended the Gullah Festival in Beaufort, with a side trip to the Penn Center, after reading Pat Conroy’s The Water is Wide. We visited Edgefield after reading about Dave, the slave potter, who lived and worked in Edgefield. And we toured Savannah and historic sites related to the African-American community because the Book Club and People’s College had included many readings about the Civil Rights Movement. We learned that Savannah had one of the most active and successful efforts in the Movement.

As always we need help from the community in reaching people who need our services. We need neighbors, teachers, non-profit administrators, church members, and others to tell people about what we offer, encourage them to come by, and to consider volunteering with some of our efforts.

Please join our community of people wanting improved literacy in our county.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_josephmcdonald.jpg

The Literacy Corner

Joseph McDonald

Joseph McDonald is a retired sociology professor from Newberry College and has worked with the Newberry County Literacy Council for more than 20 years as a tutor and board member. The Literacy Council is located at 1208 Main Street. Visit newberryread.com, call 803-276-8086 or send an email to newberrycountyli@bellsouth.net for more information.