Category: <span>Impact</span>

Matthew’s Story (Part 1): Using Language to Find Opportunity
February 5, 2025February 10, 2025
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Matthew’s Story (Part 1): Using Language to Find Opportunity

Matthew, 52, was a long way from Frederick when he first began a journey that would ultimately bring him through our doors at the Literacy Council.   Matthew was born in Benin, a country in West Africa. Jobs aren’t easy to come by in Benin, but Matthew was good at making work for himself. At a...

Learner Spotlight: Magda and Tutor Hilary
December 2, 2024January 30, 2025
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Learner Spotlight: Magda and Tutor Hilary

A native of Venezuela, Magda came to the United States seven years ago. “In my home country I was an insurance broker for 43 years,” she says. It wasn’t long before the retiree was eager to begin fully engaging in her new American life. After hearing about the Literacy Council from a friend who was...

Learner Spotlight: Meet Patrik
October 15, 2024January 30, 2025
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Learner Spotlight: Meet Patrik

We invite you to meet Patrik, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”. Patrik came to the Unites States from Cameroon in January 2023. His mother-in-law introduced him to the Literacy Council of Frederick County in March 2023. He was matched with his tutor Cyndi M. and the two developed a special bond. Patrik...

Volunteer Spotlight: Parent Literacy Program
September 11, 2024January 30, 2025
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Volunteer Spotlight: Parent Literacy Program

The Literacy Council has been quietly growing its English-language instruction to parents of children in Frederick County Title 1 elementary schools.    Founded in 2017 with three schools, the Parent Literacy Program has now doubled the size of its reach to six schools, and last year, helped 70 parents learn how to speak, write, and read...

Learner Spotlight: Summer Book Club Explores “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”
August 12, 2024August 12, 2024
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Learner Spotlight: Summer Book Club Explores “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”

This summer, the book club at the Literacy Council met for three sessions and tackled the heartbreaking story of Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo. It was a fictional account of a husband and wife who as refugees from Syria experienced the horrifying circumstances of war, and yet maintained hope though their personal resilience, persistence,...

Learner Spotlight: Meet Tetiana
July 23, 2024January 30, 2025
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Learner Spotlight: Meet Tetiana

We invite you to meet Tetiana, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”.  Featured adult learners represent the Literacy Council’s programs, including authors from Reflections: Voices of English Learners, the Literacy Council’s literary magazine, as well as adult learners in other programs. Tetiana contributed her story to the sixth edition. My name is...

Learner Spotlight: Meet Emmanuel
June 5, 2024January 30, 2025
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Learner Spotlight: Meet Emmanuel

We invite you to meet Emmanuel, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”.  Featured adult learners represent the Literacy Council’s programs, including authors from Reflections: Voices of English Learners, the Literacy Council’s literary magazine, as well as adult learners in other programs. Emmanuel contributed his story to the sixth edition. My name is...

Learner Spotlight: Meet Lupita
May 31, 2024January 30, 2025
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Learner Spotlight: Meet Lupita

On March 23, Hilda Guadalupe “Lupita”, realized a lifetime dream when she gained her American citizenship. She and her tutor, Gary Bennett, begin studying for the citizenship exam in February. The Literacy Council was instrumental in providing excellent study materials for the citizenship exam, including flash cards for the civics test and reading and writing...

Learner Spotlight: Literacy Council and Phoenix Mecano: Partners in Building Excellence
April 23, 2024April 23, 2024
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Learner Spotlight: Literacy Council and Phoenix Mecano: Partners in Building Excellence

The Literacy Council of Frederick County’s Workplace Literacy Program formally began in 2016 and has been a game-changer, helping people employed in area hospitality-service businesses improve their English-language proficiency. Its success has been recognized with awards and grants from business and government leaders. And in January, the Council brought to fruition another goal for this...