Project Read Update
Project Read: the Adult Literacy Program of the San Francisco Public Library
Winter 2005
Program Manager
Randall Weaver
Volume 22, No. 1
Project Read Student Now Has
His Own Company
by Mario St. Rose
Newsletter Coordinator
Richard Le
Staff Editors
Brian, Heather, Rhonda,
Leon, and Randy
Staff Writers
Brian, Randy, and
Rhonda
Contributing Writers
Darin Dawson
Shedrick Ferguson, Jr.
Duane Freeman
Benny Hill
Mose Johnson
Don Jue
Tim Long
Virgina Martinez
Heather MacLean
Neil Mills
Lilton Powell, Jr.
Maurice Roberson
Mario St. Rose
Kenny Soles
Photographers
Brian, Randy, Richard,
and Kit
Pounding on the impossible and the non believers.
That’s what it’s all about, something in your life that
you can’t do and people do not believe you can and
you do not believe you can. It’s all in the mind. Go
ahead and give it your very best shot, why not? What
do you have to lose? If you have something that you
always wanted to do and have not done it, it’s going to
haunt you all your life. At least try for God’s sake. If
you try, give it your best. At least you tried. Stop all the
day dreaming. It’s not going to work.
I have been coming to Project Read for about five years now. I am with my third
tutor now. When I came to Project Read I couldn’t read or write properly, but with
the help of my tutors I stayed grounded. I had the attitude to learn. But I was
ashamed of myself because of my education level. I graduated from high school
with an eighth grade education. It was not a good sight. Life was hard. I didn’t
know where to turn. That’s when a friend told me about Project Read. At that time
that was the best thing that had ever happened in my life. If it wasn’t for Project
Read I don’t know where my life would have ended up. One thing for sure I am
doing better than ever now. I am confident in everything I do now.
Now I’m taking the risk on a start-up clothing business with my business partner
Gregorio Ramirez. My clothing company is Forrio Clothing Company. At Forrio
we make shirts and many more designs to come. Visit my website at www.forrio.net.
We are about diversity. We are trying to give everyone a chance to express
themselves. “Thank you Project Read.”
What’s inside ...
Project Read
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel: (415) 557-4388
Fax: (415) 557-4375
[email protected]
www.projectreadsf.org
Page
Learner Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Learner-Tutor Thank You Letters . . . . . . . 5
Black Inventors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Project Read Holiday Party . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Project Read Outreach Activities . . . . . . 10
Welcome New Project Read Intern . . . .11
Health Care Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Page
Learner Accomplishments. . . . . . . . . . . .12
Welcome New Tutors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Computer Lab Open House . . . . . . . . . . 13
Families for Literacy Program . . . . . . . . .13
Thank you Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 14
Project Read Accomplishments . . . . . . 15
Thank you. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The views expressed are those of the authors - not necessarily that of Project Read or the San Francisco Public Library.
Page
1
Learner Writing
My Trip to China
by Don Jue
We left home at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. The plane
took off at 2 p.m. and we were on our way. It was a
medium-sized plane. The movie screen in our half of
the plane didn’t work so all we had was the radio to
listen to. The flight took about thirteen hours and after
about eight hours in that small seat I had to stand for
the last five hours or so.
When we finally landed in Beijing it was about 7
p.m. Sunday evening. That’s because China is about
fifteen hours ahead of our time. The tour guide greeted
us at the airport and took us to our hotel for the evening.
The next morning at 6 am we rose and had breakfast
in the hotel. Then at 7 am the tour guide picked up our
group for the tour. We had 12 people in our group
altogether. We headed to the Forbidden City. It was a
lot of walking: first we walked through the two really
big and thick wooden doors, then we saw a large
courtyard and lots of steps leading to a large building.
By the end we had seen about six of these big buildings
and five courtyards. The buildings were used as the
capital for five dynasties over a period of 800 years.
Tuesday we went to tour Tiananmen Square, also
called The Gate of Heavenly Peace, the largest square
in the world. First we saw only a large square. Then we
went across the street where we saw a large building
with Mao’s picture on the front. But when we went
inside there was a large courtyard that looked like the
square across the street. There were probably five
buildings, one after another, and each had a large
courtyard in front of it. Parts of the buildings were being
rebuilt like the original.
We next went to the Summer Palace, a royal
recreational resort. It was built in the classical Chinese
style in 1750. Among its famous features were the 700meter long corridor with its wonderful painted Gallery,
the Marble Barge, and several magnificently painted
pavilions and pagodas.
Wednesday we went to the Great Wall. This wonder
of the world was built about 2600 years ago and was
one of two man-made structures seen by the US
astronaut, Neil Armstrong, from outer space. We took
a trolley to the top of the mountain. There we walked
up the steps of the Great Wall to one of the towers.
From this point we could see for miles.
We then visited the Ming tombs, the burial place of
thirteen emperors and their families. Excavations, after
Page 2
many long years, have uncovered rare treasures such
gold royal crowns and silk robes. That evening we
enjoyed a Roast Beijing duck dinner.
Thursday morning we toured the Temple of the
Heaven where the Ming and Qing emperors prayed
for a good harvest. Later that afternoon we flew to
Shanghai, the largest commercial and financial center
of China. There we toured the Yu Garden, a finely
designed maze of beautiful pavilions and ponds in
the older part of the city. Later we strolled along the
Bund, China’s most famous waterfront; it stretches
about one mile along the Huangpu River. Afterwards
we ascended the Tower of the East Pearl, Asia’s tallest
TV tower in the newly developed Pudong district.
We stayed overnight in Wuxi. The next day we
proceeded to Suzhou, a city of gardens and waterways.
There we saw the “Humble Administrator’s Garden,”
Tiger Hill and Hanshan Buddhist Temple. From there
we went to Hangzou where we enjoyed a cruise on
the beautiful West Lake and stopped at a typical
teahouse and then visited the centuries old Lingyen
Temple Mausoleum of General Yue and Lei Lai Leng.
When the cruise was over, we returned to Shanghai.
There we visited the Shanghai Museum, one of the
largest museums in China. After that, we flew to
Guilin, a city famous for its natural scenery. We visited
the Reed Flute Cave, also called “The Art Palace of
Nature;” it features fantastic stalactite and stalagmites
formations that were lighted by multicolored lights.
Later that day we saw Elephant Trunk Hill and then
we continued on our tour. The next morning we
cruised down the Li River where we entered a real
life gallery formed out of rock. Next we saw fishermen
using trained cormorants to catch fish. We passed
along the picturesque river bank and saw Limestone
Hill. The next day we flew to Guangzhou where we
toured the principal points of interest in the city.
The next day our official tour was over. That
morning my Dad’s relatives picked us up and took us
to Canton where we spent three days and I got to see
where my Dad grew up; it is all still there. Then we
took a boat to Hong Kong where we also spent three
days. After that it was a 12-hour flight back home. I
still feel like I have never been to China but I don’t
know why. Maybe it was all a dream.
Learner Writing
Thank You Project Read
College Love Poem
by Virgina Martinez
by Maurice Roberson
First of all I want to thank Project Read for
everything I have learned. I am glad that I came back
to Project Read. This program has given me the tools
that I need and that I did not get when I was young. I
myself have seen the difference in my life. I can see
by me picking up more books to read them and not
just look at them and put them down and walk away.
I can even spell better then I did before. I know I
have a long way to go but not as long as I did before.
I thank Project Read again.
Bring the mood into the air
Then come into the room
Like the stars by the moon.
Virgina
I Have Improved
by Shedrick
One day I saw you looking for love
And I was in your mind
And we made a love connection.
As the connection came,
My attention, devotion, and affection ran
Like a scent that comes from a rose
And the blood in your veins that glow
And in spire me to get 3A and 2C
Babe, I’m your man.
First Time Voting
by Mose Johnson
Tutor Gail and Shedrick
My name is Shedrick Ferguson. I have been a
member of Project Read for six years. I have
learned how to spell, read and work the computer.
At my job I was voted the Driver of the Year. I
also finished my computer class. I feel so good
about myself. I also registered for City College Fall
semester. One of my classes is English 9.
Going to vote was
exciting. Seeing the
people there made me
more joyful for voting. It
let me know I had rights
to vote, hoping that it
would change things, such
as wars and some of the
living conditions in the
United States.
Page 3
Learner Writing
Growing Up Being Gay
by Kenny Soles
I was born in Douglas, Georgia and also grew
up there too. The population of Douglas is
approximately 10,400. The approximate number
of families is 4,200.There are a lot of farmers and
farm lands and the grass is green in the summer
and there are a lot of animals on the farms. They
also grow peas, corn, oats and a lot of vegetables.
The farmers work from sun up till sun down. They
hire workers to work for them. The farmers grow
their food and sell it to buyers. In the summer they
grow tobacco and the farmers start picking it in
July and sell it to tobacco companies. In the
summer it is always hot, and the winter is cold.
In my family, I grew up with 3 brothers and 1
sister. I am very close to my mom she always put
us first before herself. My dad always worked and
my mom stayed home to take care of us. I always
looked up to my mom. At night she always knew
where we were and we always sat down as a family
and ate together. We always blessed the food we
were going to eat. Dad always said the blessing.
When I was 6 years old, I liked to stare at men.
I was attracted to them, didn’t know what was
going on. It was not sexual, just trying to figure
out who I was. When I came to believe that I was
gay, I could not tell my friends or my family, so I
kept it a secret. When I was growing up, my family
didn’t believe it was right to be gay. They believed
that God does not accept gay people. That is what
they told me. When I got older, I was taught that it
was wrong to be gay and God said it was wrong
too. My friends and one of my cousins made jokes
about gays.
The people of the community also made jokes
about gay people and they hated them. I always
heard people saying that gays should be ashamed
Page 4
of themselves because it was wrong and God hated
gay people.
There was one person I knew was gay. Some
people laughed at him and made jokes about him.
I witnessed it and seen it with my eyes and heard it
with my ears. I was afraid to say anything and what
they would do to me, so I said nothing. When I
moved to San Francisco, he died from AIDS and
the undertaker would not pick up his body for his
family to have a funeral for him. The reason was
because they don’t like people with AIDS and they
did not want to touch the body. His family had to
go to Atlanta, Georgia 300 miles away to have his
funeral. That is what I was told by my sister!
I believe being gay is not a choice, and it is not
wrong. Some people judge people for their
sexuality, race or their religion. I think it is wrong
for them to discriminate against people for who
they are. When I was growing up, I thought there
was something wrong with me. I think people
should accept gays and all people for who they are
and not judge them.
Life in San Francisco is different from where I
grew up. You can be gay and not be ashamed of
being yourself and most people accept you for who
you are. I feel I am free to be gay and not be judged
for being gay. I’m not saying all people accept me
but most people do. I feel you can be gay, a different
race, or your own religion and most people accept
you for who you are.
I would like to see changes in Douglas, Georgia.
I wish they would accept people for who they are
and that they would not discriminate against people
who are gay or of a different race or religion. I
believe in love not hate!
Learner Writing
Learner-Tutor Thank You Letters
Letter From Tim Long
Letter From Tim’s Tutor,
Heather MacLean
To Project Read,
Tim,
I’m writing this letter to thank both of my tutors for
all that they have helped me. My first tutor’s name
was Esther. She’s the tutor that got me started on
reading and writing. I worked with her for a year and
my reading and writing improved a lot in that time.
So I just want to say thank you for all she did for me.
When Esther had to move on I wanted to continue
with Project Read. So the staff at Project Read helped
me get another tutor. My new tutor’s name is Heather
and she’s helping me continue the things I was doing
with Esther. Heather is helping me with new things
like working on the computer and understanding
voting materials and much more. So I wanted to say
thank you to Heather for all she’s doing for me. I also
want to say thank you to all the staff at Project Read.
Thank you Leon, Brian, Heather, Richard, Tara, and
Randy for all you are doing for me and all the other
people that need help with reading. The last person I
need to thank is Carlos for telling me about Project
Read and continuing to push me to go.
Since we began working together in December,
I have learned a lot. To begin, do you realize that
we’ve read five books together for the Wednesday
Night Readers? Most importantly, you’ve read
those books without listening to the tapes. That’s
wonderful. During that time, we’ve gone over
countless vocabulary words together. So many
times, I realized that I did not really know what a
word meant. But when I read, I tend to guess what
words mean. I love that we take the time to figure
out the meaning of words and how they make
sense in a sentence. You’ve made me think about
what I read and write and as a result, I’m noticing
that I am taking more care in doing these things.
Thank you. On the Wednesday evenings after our
sessions, I come home on a natural high and don’t
come down entirely until I go to bed. Thank you.
You and Project Read have made a positive
difference in my life. Through my work with you I
know I am doing something meaningful that is
important to you. I know that I am using my time
and energy to a positive end. As we work together,
I am definitely learning from you. I admire your
patience, dedication and perseverance. They are
all qualities that I could use more of and you serve
as a model. Thank you. So that’s all.
Heather and Tim
Page 5
Learner Writing
More Thank You Letters ...
Letter From Benny Hill
Letter From Duane Freeman
Before coming to Project Read I had no interest in
reading much. I did not read my mail; so someone
else would read it for me. Sometimes I would throw
out important mail because I couldn’t read it. And I
felt too ashamed to ask someone for help. But I feel
comfortable at Project Read to ask for help because
everyone is here to learn and no one makes fun of
you. The most important thing is that now I can read
well enough to pay my bills. I also find it fun to receive
mail and write back to people. Also, I never used to
watch movies. I would fall asleep because they didn’t
hold my interest. Since I have learned to read books,
I like to watch movies based on books because they
are interesting to me. I would like to thank the book
club, the Library, Project Read, and my tutor for being
there and helping me.
Thank you and God for loving me, thank you for
putting people in my life today. I’m getting so much
from Project Read, and my tutor Genanne is so
helpful, she has patience and she is considerate, kind,
motivating, inspiring, loving and trusting. Thank you
for the patience you have given me and for putting
up with me. I also would like to thank the staff here
at Project Read: Heather, Richard, Leon, Randy, Tara,
Brian, Sara, Lisa. Thanks to their help, I’m back in
school on the weekends and I just got a Certificate in
Microsoft Excel, Power Point, XP, Outlook and
advanced Word. I would like to thank Anna, my
computer instructor from City College, for all her
help.
One of my goals is to get my BA. This is something
that I always wanted to achieve and I will not give
up. I love working with people. I always wanted to
be a RN. Today I’m working at the VA Medical Center
with the CWT Program in the Engineering Dept as
an Electrical Helper. I would like to thank everyone
in my Department for their support. Today I’m writing
work orders, and reading work orders, and doing so
much that I did not know that I could do. With the
help of Project Read, this was all possible.
Letter From Lilton Powell, Jr.
I’ve been a part of the Project Read program off
and on for the past ten years. My tutor is Lisba Fowler
and she’s a great person and knows the English
Language very well.
I didn’t like English at all in school. Now that I’m
being tutored it shows that I didn’t pay much attention
in school on the subject of English. I can see a great
turnaround in the use of the English Language for
myself with the help of my tutor. I have learned to
accomplish the goals I set out to achieve. This gives
me great hope for the future.
To say thank you isn’t enough. I think the tutors
should be paid. Some kind of monetary exchange is
in order. I spoke with my tutor about being paid and
she doesn’t agree. I think she’s just being modest. I
think some form of payment will motivate people
with tutor skills to join Project Read and be a help to
the citizens of San Francisco.
My tutor has motivated me each week we meet
and that’s a good thing. The results of our work will
be an asset for us both. Thank you.
Page 6
Duane and Tutor Genanne
February is Black History Month
Black Inventors: Did You Know?
by Rhonda Porter
Madame C. J. Walker
Inventor and entrepreneur
Photo from http://www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/walker.html
Garrett A. Morgan
Inventor of the traffic signal
Photo from http://education.dot.gov/aboutmorgan.html
Type of invention, inventors & date invented
Cosmetics and a Chain of
Beauty Salons for Black
Women
Madame C.J. Walker
Early 1900s
Traffic Signal
Garret A. Morgan
November 20, 1923
Electric Lamp
Joseph V. Nichols and
Lewis H. Latimer
September 13, 1881
Breathing Device
Garrett A. Morgan
October 13, 1914
Pencil Sharpener
John L. Love
November 23, 1897
Hand Stamp
William B. Purvis
February 27, 1883
Mop
Thomas W. Stewart
June 13, 1893
Ice Cream Mold and Disher
Alfred L. Cralle
February 2, 1897
Horseshoe
Oscar E. Brown
August 23, 1892
Lawn Sprinkler
Joseph H. Smith
May 4, 1897
Golf Tee
George F. Grant
December 12, 1899
Baby Carriage
William H. Richardson
June 18, 1889
Railway Telegraphy
Granville T. Woods
August 28, 1888
Curtain Rod Support
W.S. Grant
August 4, 1896
Fire Extinguisher
Thomas J. Martain
March 26, 1872
Window Cleaner
A.L. Lewis
September 27, 1892
Ironing Board
Sarah Boone
April 26, 1892
Postmarking and
Canceling Machine
William Barry
June 22, 1897
Elevator
Alexander Miles
October 10, 1867
Street-Sweeper
Charles B. Brooks
March 17, 1890
Guitar
Robert F. Flemmings, Jr.
March 30. 1886
Lawn Mower
John Albert Burr
May 9, 1899
Telephone System and
Apparatus
Granville T. Woods
October 11, 1887
Process of Producing Paints
and Stains
George Washington Carver
June 14, 1927
Shoe Lasting Machine
Jan E. Matzeliger
March 20, 1884
Fountain Pen
William B. Purvis
January 7, 1890
Hair Comb
Walter H. Sammons
December 21, 1920
Bicycle Frame
Isaac R. Johnson
October 10,1899
Receptacle for Storing
and Preserving Papers
Henry Brown
November 2, 1886
Clothes Dryer
George T. Sampson
June 7, 1892
Egg-Beater
Willis Johnson
February 5, 1884
Dust Pan
Lloyd P. Ray
August 3, 1897
This information courtesy of an article in the February 1997 issue of Ebony magazine.
Look for more information on these and other Black inventors at the San Francisco Public Library!
Page 7
PR Holiday
Project Read
HolidayParty
Party & Potluck
Elizabeth
On Thursday, December 9th, well over 100
learners, tutors, library staff, and families
attended Project Read’s annual Holiday Party
and Pot Luck.
The highlight of the evening, as it is every
year, was the amazing array of homemade
dishes brought to share. Kathy Lawhun, Chief
of the Main Library, was on hand to welcome
everyone on behalf of the San Francisco Public
Library, and the spirit of the holidays was
apparent as the crowd mingled, with a bit of
assistance from Brian’s clever icebreaker.
Then, the assembled were treated to a selection
of gifts (donated by local businesses and
tutors) distributed by the traditional free raffle.
Music was provided by Adrian West
(www.adrianwest.com) whose unique sixstring violin created a rich musical background
for the evening.
Finally, as the party neared its end, all those
attending received a special door prize to
celebrate the season—a new version of the
ever-popular Project Read book bag!
Kathy Lawhun, Chief of Main Library
Randall Weaver,
Program Manager
Randy
Queen Amie
Sheila and Rose
Leon
Page 8
Elizabeth and Mary
Sally and Denis
Brian, Betty, Michelle, and Kenny
Adrian West
More Potluck Photographs
Fedra and Lindsey
Marti and Kathy
Great conversation
More great conversation
Barbara and Tasha
Rhonda and Leon
John and Betty
Randy and Dave
Rose and and Cheraun enjoy a game
Robert and Steven
Chris and Lindsey
Juan and Mary
Page 9
Project Read Outreach Activities
Do you remember the first time you saw the
Project Read Van cruising through the city? At
that time, did you wonder what the van is used for,
or where it might be going?
Behind the wheel of the van, you will find
Project Read Outreach Coordinator Leon Veal. It’s
his job to be out in the community informing the
public about the services at Project Read.
He has many ways of spreading the word. Some
days you’ll find him in the Financial District at
lunch time talking with workers about becoming
volunteer tutors. Or he may be at the Fillmore
Farmers Market on a Saturday morning, striking
up a conversation with a potential adult learner.
Leon also sets up an information booth at
neighborhood street fairs presented throughout the
city in the summer and fall. The van is also used
to visit Head Start Centers, schools, and social
service agencies where Leon makes frequent
presentations.
-- Randy Weaver
Hello everyone I am
the Project Read Van. My
job is to come out into
your neighborhood and
spread the word about
Project Read. If you don’t
know about us, we are
the adult literacy program of the San Francisco Public
Library. We offer free one-on-one tutoring to English
speaking San Francisco residents. We also have the best
volunteer tutors in the country - they are people like you!
Next time you see me in your neighborhood, stop by my
table and learn how to get tutoring or become a tutor.
Also I have some really great free pens and pencils for
you, so stop by and say hello to the Project Read Van
when you see me in your neighborhood. Oh! I almost
forgot, I am available for neighborhood events and street
fairs. I have a helium tank to blowup balloons for the
kids. So happy New Year! I look forward to seeing you
soon.
-- As told to L.V.
Project Read Intern
Please join us in welcoming Javier Gomez to the Project Read
community. Javier will be working with us on Thursdays and
Fridays through an internship with the Art Institute of California
- San Francisco. He will create art work for our family program
and assist us in the computer lab. He plans to attend our tutor
training classes in the near future.
Javier recently moved from Miami, Florida and is enjoying
his second quarter at the Art Institute. His major is Game Art and
Design. He has tons of computer experience, was an America
Reads tutor, is fluent in 3 languages, and likes to shoot video and
edit movies with his pals.
We are thrilled to have him with us. Do stop by and make him
feel at home.
Page 10
Health Care Power
by Darin Dawson
Health care is something we all have to deal with.
It’s a part of life that many of us fear and would
rather avoid. But like it or not, making the most of
our medical care is very important. After all, being
an active and informed partner in our own health
care is best for us.
On October 20, Beccah Rothschild with the
California Literacy Inc. presented a workshop on
‘Health Literacy.’ Health literacy means the ability
to read, understand and act on health information.
Health literacy can improve our self-esteem and
medical outcomes. It can also earn us respect from
our care providers. Learners and tutors can work
together and make it part of their regular sessions.
Health literacy can help with:
• Organizing medical information
• Familiarizing us with the names of parts of
our bodies, illnesses, conditions and
symptoms
• Successfully presenting ourselves and our
concerns at medical appointments
• Understanding prescriptions and self-care
instruction
• Filling out insurance forms and medical
history forms
• Learning how to make, cancel, keep and
get to appointments on time
• Using maps and directions to get to
appointments
• Using the internet to find information
The internet provides many places to get
information. Some information on the internet is
difficult for patients to understand. Yet some are
created especially for patients and are written in
plain language.
A good place to start is at the California Literacy
Initiative’s website. The address is
www.cahealthliteracy.org. This website is like a
roadmap for helping with health literacy.
Another website is www.askme3.org. This website
lets patients ask questions and guides them through
the answers. It also has a list of medications.
On the internet start page of the computers in
the Project Read office there is a link for WebMD
at www.webmd.org. Click on the link and you
will go directly to this helpful site.
Like finding any information on the web, searching
Google for health information can be
overwhelming. Putting the words ‘foot pain’ into
a Google search will give 5,130,000 matches!
Some look useful, some are written for doctors,
some try to sell something and some are a bit
kooky. When using the internet, remember that
not all the information is correct or balanced, so
be careful and cautious.
The Project Read office can provide printed
materials on health literacy for both learners and
tutors.
Darin Dawson, Tutor. I have volunteered in
medical and health care for 19 years and currently
volunteer at an adult day health center in the
Tenderloin managing medical records and patient
charts. I also volunteer at UCSF-Mount Zion
Hospital in the Art for Recovery program.
Page 11
Learner Accomplishments
William Barrett
William Barrett has recently earned a job promotion
to Area Supervisor.
William is also accomplishing great things in his GED
studies at Project Read and the Adult Learning and
Tutorial Center of City College. William says, “If I
hadn’t learned how to use computers at Project Read, I
wouldn’t have done the practice tests for the GED on
the Internet.” William recently completed a GED
Language Arts - Reading practice test at the Adult
Learning and Tutorial Center and then took the actual
test at the John Adams Campus of City College. He
scored 440! This means William has passed all of the
tests of the GED except for math. William says, “I feel
this is a great accomplishment and I’m feeling great
about myself because it has raised my self-esteem again.
Now I’m looking forward to passing the math!”
Welcome New Tutors!
Tracy Chmelauskas
Booh Edouardo
Mary Ann Hansen
Marilyn Kane
Tricia Leyden
Margarida MacCormick
Ryan Mercredi
Katie Olson
Christine Raia
Jeremy Saz
Susan Silva
Erin M. Stabb
Mark Treanor
Mary Albanese
Phillip Cannon
Judy Dyer
Annie Gloston-Ware
Gretchen Good
Cynthia Gralla
Timothy Hastings
Anya O’Neill
Kevin Smith
Hideka Suzuki
Margaret Von Heidecke
Mose Johnson
Before coming to Project Read, Mose had never used
a computer before. He now uses the lab several times a
week and is a whiz at several software programs.
Mose continues to work hard on his reading and
writing with his tutor Chris. Mose recently wrote two
thank you letters (to two lucky Project Read staff
members). These are the first letters he has ever written.
Edwin Caughell
Ed has shown extreme dedication in using the very
challenging Carmen Sandiego Word Detective software
program. He has signed in at two different skill levels
and completed both of them. He is now solving the
third, and final, level.
January 2005 tutor training
Iris Barnett
Iris finished her second book in the No. 1 Ladies
Detective Agency series.
More January 2005 tutor training
Tutor Vivian and Iris
Page 12
Computer Lab Open House
Wade takes a shine to the lab.
Simon and Elizabeth enjoy the food,
conversation, and demonstrations of what
the new computer lab can do.
by Brian Castagne
Richard, Rhonda, and Randy lay out the fabulous
spread.
On Friday January 21st we held an open house to celebrate the full-scale upgrade of our computer lab. We
had a delightful and informative time as learners, tutors, and library staff mingled, nibbled on absolutely
delicious food, and put the computers through their paces. We gave demonstrations showing how you can still
run old favorites like Spell it Deluxe and Ultimate Phonics on these state-of-the-art machines. We also showed
off our huge flat panel computer screens, shared tips on using our sleek new cordless mice, and even hipped
folks to the little scroll wheel tucked into the left side of our wireless keyboards. We also pointed out how this
compact equipment dramatically increases our counter space and makes it easier to pursue paper-based activities
and work side-by-side in tutoring pairs.
We encourage all Project Read learners and tutors to drop by and get to know your way around these
superfast, power-packed, ultra-small, and shockingly easy-to-use computers.
Families For Literacy Program
by Brian Castagne
The Families for Literacy program continues to provide special support to the Project Read community. If
you are a Project Read learner who has a child age 5 or under in your care, make sure you check in with us. We
have a wide selection of brand new children’s books to help you build a first class home library. We also
provide coloring pages, activity sheets, and educational videos/DVDs. We even have a growing collection of
easy-to-use study guides that make perfect lesson plans for your own tutoring sessions.
Please make the time to stop by and chat with Brian. You’ll walk away with an armful of great books plus
ideas for how to share them with your children. We’ll show you some simple things to do that will support
your children as they develop new skills and interests that will help them be successful at school - and beyond.
Rose is surprised and delighted to receive her
$20 Stacey’s Books gift card from our families
program book club.
Dayana, Alberto, Bianca, and Melissa collect
their gift cards.
Dorothy takes a break from her tutoring
session with Amberly to accept her gift card.
Page 13
2004 Donors - Our Thanks for Your Generous Support!
Project Read gratefully acknowledges the following people and organizations
for their generous contributions in support of our literacy efforts during 2004*
Susan and Ben Abarca
Wade Acton
Mary Elizabeth Albanese
Richard Alena
Christopher Balme
Bonnie and Michael Barr
Amy Barron
and Jo A. Covey
James Becker
Barbara Bentley
JoAnn Bertges
Kirk and Jill Bettencourt
Madeline Brandi
Paul Brest and Iris Brest
Loren Brown
Leslee Burnett
Rebin R. Burns
Mateo Burtch
Carol and Jim Butler
E. D. Cahn
Robert Callwell
Adam Calmenson
James Campbell, M.D.
Philip M Cannon
Elizabeth Cantlin
Betty C. Carman
Joan Carney
Rosa M. Carrillo
Gail H. Chang
Sam Christie
Evelyn and Richard Clair
William S. Clark
Clorox Co. Foundation
Aveline Coale
Katy Colpetzer
Monica Conrady
Helen B. Crowell
Mary Culp
Phoebe Cutler
Robert Darchi
Lenora Eagar Davis
Darin J. Dawson
Jobyna Dellar
Christine Delsol
Roslyn R. Dienstein
Lindsey Dillon
Faina Disterheft
Paula L. DiDomenico
William and Phyllis Draper
Reynold Dubberke
John S. Dutton
Judith A. Dyer
Matthew W.R. Eddy
Courtney Eder
Cynthia A. Ehrlich
and Ron Nagle
Sari J. Ellovich
Saul Feldman
Jonathan Fennell
and Stacy Roth
Glenn Fernandes
Jane Field
Mary Fitzpatrick
Darryl Forman
Scott Foster
Dorothy H. Fowler
Jon Frank and
Lynne Rappaport
Marc Franklin
June Fraps
Genevieve Fujimoto
Sue Fujitani
Evelyn Gaines
Robert T. Gamble
Marvin Gans
Gap Foundation
Genentech
Janet Geraty
Benjamin Gibb
Stephen & Ann Gibson
John Gildersleeve
Marsha K. Glantz
Annie M Gloston
Sarah Goldman
Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund
Gretchen Good
Elizabeth Gordon
Monika Gorkani
Cynthia Gralla
Glee Greenwood
P. L. Hagerty
Florence Haimes
Carlyn Halde
Barbara Hancock
Dorothy Harkavy
Gwen Head
Joanne Heffelfinger
Margaret Von Heidecke
Roberto Hernandez
Richard Hewetson
Mary Hilton
Linda Hom
Theresa Horrigan
Marie Howarth
M. Rita Howe
Dr. Heather Hudson
Elvira D. Hughes
Jean Collier Hurley
Donna Ihling
John Inson
Douglas Jackson
Judy Janec
Patrick J. Jennings
Maureen N. Jensen
Katharine H. Johnson
Ted Jones
Pamela Jue
Roy Kaplan
Richard Keenan
and Kathleen McNamara
Richard Keller
Mary J. Kelley
Wanda Kibby
John H. Kirkwood
Thea F. Kitt
Richard Kline
and Phyllis Kline
Lelia Krache
Meredith Kremer
Jill Kustner
La Puerta de Oro
- SF Chapter, NSDAR
Mary P. Lavin
Irwin and Enid Leff
Jack and Alice Leibman
Wendy and Lawrence Leigh
Robert Leone
Nancy Leventhal
Shannon K. Little
Vicky Lowe
Anna and Karl Ludwig
John E. Lynn
Macy’s West
United Way Campaign
Susan Manning
Joe Mannon
Beverly Marlow
Olympia Martyn
and Donald H. Rubin
Theodora Mauro
Maria Mazer
Eileen V. McCauley
Kathleen McClung
Sarah McCuskey
Maryanne McGlothlin
Sara and Michael Meehan
Geraldine Melick
Michael Mellor
Susan Millman
Harry Morgan
Richard G. Morris
Sheila Mullen
Jerome D. Muller
William K. Nisbet
Mary L. Norris
Rebecca Northen
Richard A. Norwood
Bonnie Odell
J. June Ohara
Laure Oliver
Nancy Olson
Ronald Orme
Doris Osenda
Trudy Patch
Martha Payne
Robert and Nancy Pease
Mark Picciano
Harry Plant
Amberly Polidor
Marcia Popper
James Potts
Fedra Pouideh
Judy Prejean
Anna Prusow
Flora Raggio
Shirley Reece
Laverne Reiterman
Labe Richman
Michele Robinson
Toni and Arthur Rock Rosebud Agency
Louise Rosenberg
Audrey Russell
Terri and Bob Ryan
Bernice Sachs
Jessica Erin Sanet
Sherri and Joseph Sawyer
George F. Scarpato
Joanna Schaller
Kim Scheffel
Max Schmidt
Andrew and Linda Schneit
Bob and Dorothy Scholten
Erika Seid
Sylvia Serrahn
Mary Anne Shattuck
Alys Shin
Patricia Silver
Maude Smith
Marilynne Solloway
Robert Spoor
Stacey’s Bookstore
Suzanne Stassevitch
and James W. Friedman
Mrs. Carl W. Stern
Elizabeth Storey
Mary B. Strauss
John Hale Stutesman
David and Barbara J.Styles
Bruce Suehiro
Arlene Sullivan
Robert Swingley
Ruth Taylor
Ann Telthorst
Jennifer Toro
Carleen Trares
Dyann Tresenfeld
Elizabeth Tucker
UBS - Matching Gift Prgm
United Way of the Bay Area
Frances Varnhagen
Lam K. Voong
Greg Walker
Laura J. Wall
Wal-Mart Foundation
Bessie Weiss
Martha Wellington
Thomas C. White
Sherry Wickwire
Peter Wiley and Valerie Barth
Diane E. Wilson
Jan and Roger Wittlin
Rosemary Wong
Marion Woodward
Working Assets
Alan K. Young
Susan Zegans
Margaret Zeigler
Laurel J. Ziegler
William and Nancy Zinn
Sharla Zwirek
* Contributions received after the publication date will be acknowledged next year.
Page 14
2004 Project Read Accomplishments
DIRECT SERVICE
• Tutored 205 adults.
• Collaborated with community agencies by referring Project Read tutors
to volunteer at The Episcopal Sanctuary’s Skills Center.
• Interviewed and assessed reading and writing skills of 82 learners. • Collaborated with Common Knowledge, Inc., and the Bay Area Library
• Matched 72 learner/tutor pairs and placed 8 tutors in community Information System, and the California State Library to establish Project
agencies.
• Sent 72 individualized recommendations to tutors upon initial match
with their learners.
• Assisted 51 learners to reach their goals, which included expanded
educational, job, and personal opportunities.
• Held six 12-hour training sessions for volunteer tutors, training 63
volunteers.
•
Referred 16 persons to appropriate services and answered 58
additional information questions.
• Continued to update the Project Read book collection in the Main
and Branch libraries.
• Presented 3 continuing education classes for tutors.
Money which features instructional material and a web site for use by
tutors, learners and literacy staff throughout California.
• Collaborated with other Bay Area literacy programs and California
Literacy, Inc. to present an adult learner conference in October held in
San Francisco. Eight adult learners from Project Read received
scholarships to cover their registration at the conference.
• Collaborated with library literacy programs from throughout the state
to plan and present the Literacy Reception at the Annual Conference of
the California Library Association in San Jose in November.
• Collaborated with Artists For Literacy (SIBL Project) to promote
awareness of adult literacy.
• Collaborated with Common Knowledge, Inc. and the State Library to
plan and present the California Voices Project—a statewide town hall
meeting to engage adult learners in the electoral process.
• Held 10 tutor roundtable meetings.
• Facilitated 11 meetings of the Wednesday Night Readers Book Club.
OUTREACH
• Presented 5 small group workshops for adult learners.
• Made 27 presentations
FAMILY LITERACY
• Provided service to 31 parenting adults.
• Gave an average of 6 books per child to parenting learners. Books
and other educational materials were distributed at the learner’s initial
intake, the child’s birthday, workshops, office visits, and special events.
• Held 35 family events where we shared ideas and strategies on topics
such as: reading in the home; utilizing the library and other community
resources; media literacy; television as a learning tool; science literacy;
parenting skills; working with the school system; and health and
nutrition.
• Collaborated with the KQED Hands on Literacy project to develop
new learning strategies, create engaging educational materials, and
provide first quality books to Project Read families.
• Awarded an “Outstanding Literacy Partner” certificate and selected
as a mentor site by the KQED Hands on Literacy project.
• Recognized by the State Library as an exemplary family literacy
program and selected as a mentor site.
• Served on the San Francisco First Book Advisory Board.
• Served on the San Francisco Headstart Advisory Board.
• Collaborated with the Exploratorium to present a highly interactive
science literacy workshop.
• Collaborated with the Art Institute of California - San Francisco to
create original materials geared to the needs of adult learners and
their families.
• Increased our library of literature-based multimedia materials.
• Established a highly individualized summer reading club for families.
COLLABORATION
• Collaborated with City College of San Francisco by referring Project
Read tutors to volunteer at the following Adult Basic Education sites:
John Adams Community College, Adult Learning and Tutorial Center,
Mission Community College, and Southeast Learning Center.
to community agencies and businesses to
promote Project Read services and propose collaborations.
• Made contact with 88 organizations and businesses to recruit additional
students and tutors.
• Set up 105 informal information tables in neighborhoods.
• Distributed 7,000 flyers, posters, card stands, pens, pencils, and other
promotional materials.
• Participated in events at Tenderloin Neighborhood Development
Association, City & County of San Francisco Drug Court,
Bayview-Hunter’s Point Resource Faire, Bernal Heights Street Fair, John
Muir Elementary School, San Francisco Sheriff’s Dept. Pre Release
Program, Stacey’s Bookstore, California Literacy, Inc., Health Literacy
Initiative, New Yorker Nights at the Cafe Du Nord - literary event and
fund-raiser for Project Read, San Francisco Head Start Family and
Community Partnership Committee, Daughters of the American
Revolution - San Francisco Chapter, Friends & Foundation Book Sale
(Fort Mason), Walden House, and Western Addition Community
Association - Farmer’s Fair.
COMPUTER LEARNING LAB
• Received approximately 3,000 visits to the lab.
• Facilitated over 200 highly supportive computer lab training sessions.
• Completed a full scale upgrade of the Project Read Computer Learning
Lab (with no disruption of service).
• Continued our mission to emphasize the use of select educational
software to achieve personal literacy and life skills goals, provide
immediate and frequent opportunities for learner success, support learnertutor teamwork, increase learner independence, demystify technology,
and provide a welcoming gathering place for the Project Read community.
• Designed and facilitated a workshop at the California Literacy
Conference which explored strategies to make technology accessible,
relevant, and engaging for adult literacy learners.
• Continued active participation in TINT - BAYlit, a support and advocacy
group of computer lab coordinators from library-based adult literacy
programs throughout the Bay Area.
Page 15
Thank you
☺ John Gildersleeve and Erin McAleece for leading the Wednesday
Night Readers meetings. ☺ Friends of the San Francisco Public Library
for their generous support. ☺ Tutor contacts Barbara Angus, Frances
Culp, Susan Fink, John Gildersleeve, Jane Ginsburg, JoAnn Lopez,
Cathy Morgan, Terri Ryan, Richard Sikes & Patricia L. Stone for
providing invaluable support to the staff and fellow tutors. ☺ Javier
Gomez for proofreading this newsletter. ☺ Larry Condall and Amy
Meyer for speaking at the November 2004 Tutor Orientation. ☺ Mary
De Jesus and Juan Elias for speaking at January Tutor Training. ☺
San Francisco Symphony, See’s Candy Shops, Inc., San Francisco
Hilton, California Academy of Sciences, Working Assets, Stacy’s
Bookstore, PC World and Digital World, Jane Field, Vivian Altmann,
Kate Wheeler, Kelly Ng, JoAnn Lopez & Guy Davis, Jason Siroonian
& Victor, Suzanne Lifson, Susan Fink, Fedra Pouideh & Rick Marini,
Sarah Goldman, Wade Acton and Kabira Miley for their generous
donations and gift certificates for our free raffle at our Holiday Party.
☺ Carol Inglis, Rose Johnson, Lucille Culter, Laure Oliver, Juan Elias,
De Marcus Johnson, Michele Gloor, Shannon Little, Wonderful
Wright, Mary Hilton, Katelyn Wheeler, Erin McAleece, Elizabeth
Hughes, Heather MacLean, Linda Greenfield, Felicia Dewhart, Betty
Williams, Marilyn Dong and Marti Goddard for their assistance in
setting up the Holiday Party.
Friends of the
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel: (415) 557-4388
Fax: (415) 557-4375
[email protected]
www.projectreadsf.org
Page 16
Special Thanks and
Congratulation to...
Lisa Dovichi for her hard work
during her internship with us.
She created original art work,
crafted word games and puzzles,
assisted learners in the computer
lab, engaged family program
participants in fun and
educational activities, and in
general helped out where we
most needed it. A special
congratulations to Lisa and her
husband Andrew, as they are new
proud parents of a healthy baby
boy, named Alexander, born on
January 20, 2005!
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
Paid
San Francisco, CA
Permit No. 9030