Literacy Network

We were honored to join MIG Commercial Real Estate LLC earlier this month in celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Charity Golf Classic along with other past nonprofit recipients! Thank you, MIG, for all you do to support our community. We’re grateful for the opportunity to have been your 2019 charity recipient and receive additional funds at this anniversary event. With help like yours, Dane County adults are building skills and reaching goals!

Our July 2024 e-newsletter is now available online! Read about the recent Student Achievement Ceremony, meet some volunteers from over our 50 years, and more! https://bit.ly/July24LN-enews

Welcome to Literacy Network's Board of Directors, Sherrice! Sherrice shares, "As an attorney with experience working in public education, I understand the importance of education and literacy in our city. Literacy provides access to advancement and opportunities." We're happy to have you on the team, Sherrice!

Students in this recent Level 2 English class practiced vocabulary while playing Pictionary. Instructor Marie shares, "They had so much fun and I saw a lot of creativity in how they expressed themselves through their drawings!" We love to see students laughing and connecting as they learn!

During the months of April and May, inmates at Oakhill Correctional Institution of Wisconsin Department of Corrections had the opportunity to participate in an ice cream fundraiser to benefit a local nonprofit. We are honored to have been selected as the recipient. Thank you to Natalie Flores, Recreation Leader, who stopped by to drop off the check. We are so grateful for the support of our students!

Welcome to Literacy Network's Board of Directors, Becky! Becky was introduced to Literacy Network at our Growing Through Literacy event, where she was inspired to learn more. Becky says, "I have had a desire to get involved with an organization that inspires me and has a heart for service. I felt both of those things at the event and long after." We're so glad to have you, Becky!

Happy 4th of July!

The holiday is extra special this year for 44 new citizens who took the oath on Monday. We were honored to attend this naturalization ceremony at partner Centro Hispano. Our students typically must travel to Milwaukee for their citizenship ceremony, but new citizens had a unique opportunity to participate in their ceremony at Centro’s new building just down the road from Literacy Network! Special congratulations to Literacy Network student Gamze (pictured, R), who was among the new citizens participating.

Welcome to Literacy Network's Board of Directors, Francisco! Francisco joins us 20 years after having been a student with us himself! Francisco shares, "I’ve gone through the learning process myself and now that I have gained more skills, I would like to share what I know and at the same time expand my knowledge by learning from others." Thanks for joining the team, Francisco!

Over its 50 years, how many different buildings has Literacy Network called home? Make a guess and then find the answer in the comments!

We've moved to better meet the needs of our growing student population. This year, while we didn't move, we did expand our building, as demand for programs continues to increase!

And the answer to last week's trivia question is...1979! This strong relationship continues to this day. Thank you, United Way of Dane County, for all you do to support our students and their dreams!

Omar, from Senegal, and Olha, from Ukraine, both attended our Community English class at Nuestro Mundo Community School this spring. In spite of an age gap, cultural differences and limited English skills, the two formed a strong connection through many classes of English. They often sat and practiced together. Olha said one day, "He is my grandson now."

English classes offer opportunities beyond language instruction. Many students in our classes form strong and lasting bonds with their classmates, helping to create a sense of community. Support students building skills and community: litnetwork.org/donate

In what year did Literacy Network become a member agency of United Way of Dane County? Share your guess in the comments below.

United Way funding-- $7,800 in that first year--allowed us to hire our first paid staff member!

Today is World Refugee Day. Literacy Network is proud to partner with other area nonprofits to support refugees in Dane County. Join us this this Sunday, June 23, for a World Refugee Day celebration of community, including food, music, games, and speakers!

Literacy Network is closed today, 6/19, in recognition of Juneteenth. We encourage you to participate in local Juneteenth events and will reopen for normal business hours tomorrow, 6/20.

And the answer to last week's trivia question is....70! This goal was set because it was 1% of the 7,000 Madisonians over the age of 25 with less than an 8th-grade education according to the 1970 census. In 2023, we served 1,445 students!

The start of a new semester means more "What's the Story?" fill-in-the-captions illustrations from instructor Gregg! Here, students reviewed common shopping vocabulary while writing a happy ending to this grocery store adventure!

Literacy Network will be closed Wednesday, 6/19, in recognition of Juneteenth. We encourage you to participate in local Juneteenth events, including tomorrow's Celebration in the Park:
https://kujichaguliamcsd.org/celebration-park/

How many people did Literacy Network serve during our first year in 1974? Put your guess (15, 70, or 205) in the comments. Hint: It's barely 5% of how many students we served in 2023!