Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative
Pioneers in non-profit adult literacy organizations paved the way for the Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative that was conceived in 2003. The early years of this decade brought much change the field of adult literacy. Two non-profit groups in Texas – Texas Adult Literacy Laubach and Literacy Volunteers of America – came together to form the Texas Association of Adult Literacy Councils (TAALC), a statewide coalition of non-profit literacy providers. Texas led the way and the nation followed as Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America came together to form ProLiteracy America. Within our state, non-profit literacy providers vary greatly in size and focus from small faith-based programs to large city literacy coalitions serving many thousands of adults each year. All share a common passion for this critical social and economic need while struggling to meet that need with limited resources.
Into this atmosphere of change and challenges, came another transformation as the Texas Education Agency contracted with Texas LEARNS to provide leadership and support services to adult and family literacy providers. Texas LEARNS began to look seriously at how non-profit volunteer literacy providers could be supported in order to encourage collaborations between these non-profits and adult basic education providers. Volunteer organizations were recognized as valuable partners and new thinking prevailed in a spirit of strong cooperation. Into this season of collaboration, the Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative was born.
Texas LEARNS authorized the Texas Adult & Family Literacy Clearinghouse Project at the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL) to include in its grant objectives the Volunteer Training Initiative and, in early 2004, the initiative began providing support for training of volunteers as a collaboration between TCALL and Literacy Texas (formerly TAALC). Through this initiative, volunteers and administrators of community-based literacy programs with no access to state funds are provided support for professional development.
Since January 2004, over $500,000 supplied by this initiative has funded expenses for volunteers and
administrative staff to attend conferences, trainings, and workshops. By using the train-the-trainer model, strength within each region to conduct trainings is built, thereby reducing travel costs and time. Literacy Texas and the TCALL staff work closely to review and recommend conferences and other trainings for which reimbursement of participants’ and/or trainers’ expenses will be offered.
Additionally, for programs seeking ProLiteracy Accreditation, the Volunteer Training Initiative funds have supported the accreditation fee and Literacy Texas has provided technical support as programs seek that Accreditation. This is another critical area which brings increased quality and accountability to the field through program improvement. ProLiteracy America supports an organizational accreditation that assists non-profit program administrators and their boards in ensuring the highest quality management and service delivery. ProLiteracy America Accreditation acknowledges literacy organizations that are distinguished by superior professional leadership, effective programs, committed governing boards, and outstanding volunteer support. Literacy Texas is the lead organization to provide accreditation services to the non-profit literacy community in Texas.
Further collaboration happens through LiteracyTexasLink, an email discussion list that helps to connect literacy providers from across the state. TCALL Clearinghouse Project staff provides hosting, moderation, and subscription management services for LiteracyTexasLink. Although the Volunteer Training Initiative is limited to community-based literacy programs with no access to state funds for professional development, the listserv is open to all volunteer literacy programs, adult basic education programs, and individuals who are interested in improving literacy in Texas, particularly in community-based settings that utilize volunteers. This listserv is used to communicate the availability of funding for professional development opportunities in addition to sharing relevant information about research, statistics, and resources. It is a connecting vehicle through which to network, to communicate, to share resources, to seek professional development opportunities, and to provide access to new allies.
The fact that the Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative provides reimbursements for instructors and volunteer tutors to attend professional development offerings allows program dollars to be used for learner instruction and leverages these dollars for direct instructional services to build statewide system capacity. With a broad base of volunteer expertise, precious resources are saved through the donation of time and talent.
These resources support the mission of community literacy and the vision of 100 percent literacy through 100 percent community engagement that is embraced by Literacy Texas to bring educational equity to every family in the state. No one organization can solve a problem of this scope – it takes collaboration and cooperation by all interested parties working together to solve this problem. It can work only in an environment of strong, sustained collaboration.
About the Author
Mrs. Dale E. Pillow is Executive Director of the Adult Reading Center in Pearland and Immediate Past President of Literacy Texas (www.literacytexas.org). She can be reached at linktoliteracy@sbcglobal.net.
