New All-Electric Project Read Van On the Road!

Project Read goes GREEN! Soon you will see a brand new Project Read Outreach Van traveling around the city.  This Ford Transit Connect van will be the first all-electric van in the city's fleet.  We want to thank the State Library (California Library Literacy Services grant) for providing the funding, the San Francisco Department of the Environment for supporting this purchase, the Office of Contract Administration for enabling the purchase process, SFPL graphic artist Barbara McMahan-Dennis for creating a wonderful exterior design, and our own Facilities Division (Roberto Lombardi, April Wan & Rhonda Porter) for their devoted hard work that made this project possible. 

In-Service Workshop for Project Read Tutors -- August 24

Those Handy Instructional Aids

Presented by Randy Weaver,  Project Read Manager

This workshop will offer a hands-on review of the instructional aids located in the Project Read office. We’ll brainstorm ways to enhance your tutoring sessions by using the many 3-dimensional words, letters and games which are available, and we’ll discuss the importance of including multi-sensory techniques in your instructional plan.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011
6:00—7:30 p.m.
Project Read Conference Room, Main Library—2nd Floor

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Tutors are Invited to Attend Upcoming Tutor Roundtable Meetings

Project Read's monthly Tutor Roundtable meetings are an opportunity for volunteers to engage in an open and rewarding discussion with other tutors and Project Read staff.  At these informal meetings, you'll be able to share your success stories and offer encouragement to your fellow tutors.  You will also pick-up some fresh instructional strategies to enhance your tutoring skills.  And of course, we will provide some tasty pizza and drinks to support the lively conversation. 
     Here are the dates for Tutor Roundtables during the remainder of 2011:

• Tuesday, July 5 -- 6:00 PM
• Saturday, August 6 -- 1:00 PM
• Tuesday, September 6 -- 6:00 PM
• Saturday, October 1 -- 1:00 PM
• Tuesday, November 1 -- 6:00 PM

All Tutor Roundtable meetings are held in the Project Read Conference Room on the 2nd floor of the Main Library at 100 Larkin Street.  Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend any of these meetings.

Tutor-Learner Teams: Join the Wednesday Night Readers Book Club!

This is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club over the next few months. Tutor-learner teams are encouraged to pick up these FREE books and audio books and then make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions held on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion.

Night by Elie Wiesel (discussed at the July 27 meeting, books & audio available June 29)
     In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? (120 pages)

The Journey of Crazy Horse by Joseph M. Marshall III (discussed at the August 31 meeting, books & audio available July 27)
     Marshall draws on a rich Native American oral tradition to carefully and lovingly tell the life of Crazy Horse as a storyteller would. The result is a vivid, haunting biography. Raised on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, Marshall recalls hearing his grandfather share stories of battles fought 75 years earlier against "Long Hair," the Lakota name for Gen. George Custer, vanquished at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Marshall reveals Crazy Horse as loyal son, spurned lover, instinctive warrior, doting father, compassionate hunter and natural leader. (336 pages)


Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich (discussed at the September 28 meeting, books & audio available on August 31)
      Stephanie Plum, the Jersey bond enforcement agent, who already has two guys in her life, reconnects with Diesel, a third heartthrob. Diesel offers Stephanie a deal: if he lets her find Annie Hart, a relationship coach who's become a big-ticket bond on Stephanie's Most Wanted List, then Stephanie can do Annie a big favor by playing Cupid for a number of Annie's lovelorn clients, including a shy butcher, a desperate vet, an overworked single mom, a 30-something virgin and the marriage-phobic fellow who just happens to be Stephanie's pregnant sister's boyfriend. (176 pages)


Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (discussed at the October 26 meeting, books & audio available on September 28)
     "Uproariously funny" is an unlikely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty. Roach delves into the many productive uses to which cadavers have been put, from medical experimentation to applications in transportation safety research. Even Roach's digressions and footnotes are captivating, helping to make the book impossible to put down. (304 pages)


A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (discussed at the November 30 meeting, books & audio available on October 26)
     The story of Ebenezer Scrooge opens on a Christmas Eve as cold as Scrooge's own heart. That night, he receives three ghostly visitors: the terrifying spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Each takes him on a heart-stopping journey, yielding glimpses of Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit, the horrifying specters of Want and Ignorance, even Scrooge's painfully hopeful younger self. Will Scrooge's heart be opened? Can he reverse the miserable future he is forced to see? Now in an unabridged edition gloriously illustrated by the award-winning P.J. Lynch, this story's message of love and goodwill, mercy and self-redemption resonates as keenly as ever. (158 pages)

Cautiously Good News for Libraries in Governor's May Budget Revision!

Governor Brown's May budget revision includes the $15.2 million for libraries that many of you fought so hard for earlier in the year.  The $15.2 million includes $8.5 million for the California Library Services Act, $3 million for the Public Library Fund, and $3.7 million for California Library Literacy Services.  Clearly we are not out of the woods yet, as the Governor's budget revision still relies on a series of tax extensions, but it is good news for now.  Let's take the opportunity to thank the Governor and our legislators for acknowledging the value of libraries and literacy!

SAVE THIS DATE! June 14 -- Project Read Tutor & Learner Celebration

Annual Project Read Tutor & Learner Celebration

A special evening to honor Project Read’s
learners & tutors

Featuring:
* Tasty Food * Volunteer Service Awards *
* Adult Learners & Tutors as Guest Speakers *

Tuesday, June 14
6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Main Library — Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room — Lower Level
Bring your friends and family!

Invitations will be coming your way in May

In-Service Workshop for Project Read Tutors: April 19 - 6:00 PM

Using Poetry to Enrich
Basic Literacy Instruction

Presented by Randy Weaver — Project Read Manager

Join us for this fun and interactive workshop where you will discover how poetry can be used to teach basic skills while adding variety and excitement to your tutoring sessions.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

6:00 — 7:30 pm

Main Library—Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room, Lower Level

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

2-Part Writing Workshop for Project Read Learners

Creating Your Writer to Writer Letter
Presented by Leon Veal,
Project Read Outreach Coordinator

In this 2-part workshop, Project Read learners will explore the parts of an award-winning letter, begin organizing their ideas for their personal letter to a favorite author, and review the step-by-step process for working with their tutors to create their own Writer to Writer entry (due April 29).

Part 1 — Wednesday, March 9, 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Part 2 — Wednesday, March 16, 6:00 to 7:30 PM

Project Read Conference Room

Please call (415) 557-4388 
if you would like to attend

Tutor In-Service Workshop - Thursday, February 17 - 6:00 PM

Sizing-Up Your Syllables
Presented by Andrea Jesse,
Project Read Tutor & Language Teacher

Tutors, this workshop is a chance to review the basic principles of syllabication. Via a jazzy PowerPoint presentation and hands-on materials and activities, you will review many of the rules used to divide words into syllables. Exercises will be presented that can help your learner recognize syllable types and syllable division which can help improve spelling and pronunciation. Resources available to all tutor-learner teams will also be shared and discussed.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

6:00—7:30 p.m.

Main Library—Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room—Lower Level

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Writing Challenge for Adult Learners -- Writer to Writer 2011

Writer to Writer

10th Annual Writing Challenge

 for Adult Learners

sponsored by

Bay Area Literacy

 

 Adult Learners are Invited to...

• Read or listen to a book that inspires you.
• Write a letter to the author (living or dead)
• You can write the letter yourself or get as much help as you need from your tutor/staff. You can even dictate your story to your tutor as s/he writes down your words. This challenge is for everyone—from beginning to advanced learners.
• Give the letter along with the entry form to the Project Read staff.
• All authors will have their letters published in a booklet.

Entry forms and a 10-page instructional curriculum, that can be used by tutor-learner teams as part of their lesson plan, are available in hard copy at the Project Read office and electronically on the Project Read website -- www.projectreadsf.org -- under "What's New!"

(Writer to Writer Materials at http://www.projectreadsf.org/)

Tutor-Learner Teams: Make Plans to Join the Project Read Book Club in 2011

This is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club over the next few months. Tutor-learner teams are encouraged to pick up these FREE books and audio books and then make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion.


A Mercy by Toni Morrison (Discussed at the February 23 meeting, books & audio available January 26)

In the 1680s the slave trade in the Americas is still in its infancy. Jacob Vaark is an Anglo-Dutch trader and adventurer, with a small holding in the North. Despite his distaste for dealing in “flesh,” he takes a small slave girl in part payment for a bad debt. The girl is Florens, who can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Rejected by her mother, Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older servant woman at her new master's house, and later from the handsome blacksmith, an African, never enslaved, who comes riding into their lives. A Mercy reveals what lies beneath the surface of slavery. (224 pages)

The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller (Discussed and the March 30 meeting, books and audio available February 23)

Set in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials of the late 1600’s, this play is the story of a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife's arrest for witchcraft. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lie and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others. (160 pages)

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (Discussed at the April 27 meeting, books and audio available March 30)

This is Dashiell Hammett's classic tale of murder in Manhattan, which became the popular movie series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, and both the movies and the novel continue to captivate new generations of fans. Nick and Nora Charles are Hammett's most enchanting creations, a rich, glamorous couple who solve crimes in between wisecracks and martinis. (208 pages)

The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back by Kevin Salwen (Discussed at the May 25 meeting, books and audio available on April 27)
It all started when fourteen-year old Hannah Salwen saw a homeless man in her neighborhood at the same time that a glistening Mercedes Benz pulled up. She said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.” Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. As a family, they made the decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too. (239 pages)

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain (Discussed at the June 29 meeting, books and audio available May 25)
This short story by Mark Twain satirizes the pomposity of small town virtues that really aren't what they seem. A stranger sets out to ruin Hadleyburg's reputation as "the most honest and upright town in all the region." His scheme involves a fake bag of gold coins and notes that lure leading townsmen into greed and eventual public ridicule. (70 pages)

Tutors: You're Invited to Join Us for a Tutor Roundtable Discussion in 2011

Tutor Roundtable Schedule

January to June, 2011

Project Read's monthly Tutor Roundtable meetings are an opportunity for volunteers to engage in an open and rewarding discussion with other working tutors and Project Read staff.  At these informal meetings, you'll be able to share your success stories and offer encouragement to your fellow tutors.  You will also pick-up some fresh instructional strategies to enhance your tutoring skills.  And of course, we will provide some tasty pizza and drinks to support the conversation. 

Here are some upcoming dates for Tutor Roundtables--they are held in the Conference Room of the Project Read office at the Main Library.

Tuesday, January 4, 6:00-7:30

Saturday, February 5, 1:00 – 2:30

Tuesday, March 8, 6:00 – 7:30

Saturday, April 2, 1:00 – 2:30

Tuesday, May 3, 6:00 – 7:30

Saturday, June 4, 1:00 – 2:30

Join your fellow tutors, learners, and library staff for Project Read's annual

Holiday Party & Potluck

Thursday, December 9, 2010

6:00 - 8:00 PM

Main Library - Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room, Lower Level

You'll enjoy some great food, music, a free raffle, and special door prizes for everyone.

Friends and family members are always welcome.

Call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend,

and please bring a favorite holiday dish to share.

In-Service Class for Tutors -- October 21

Putting Roles & Goals to Work for You and Your Learner

Presented by Holly Fulghum-Nutters & Randy Weaver

This workshop will show you how to use the nifty on-line instructional curricula developed by California Library Literacy Services to support the specific learner goals featured on the Roles & Goals survey. These very helpful instructional plans can make your tutoring sessions even more supportive of your learner’s goals as well as give you a fresh approach to teaching basic reading and writing skills.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

6:00—7:30 p.m.

Main Library—Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room—Lower Level

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.



Voting Workshop for Adult Learners

To prepare for the Election on November 2nd,

Project Read Learners are invited to attend a

Voting Workshop

Thursday, October 7, 2010

6:00 — 7:00 p.m.

Project Read Conference Room — 2nd. Floor

• Learn about the details of voting in San Francisco from a representative from the Department of Elections.


• Review voter information in the Easy Voter Guide.


• Complete your voter registration in time for the election.


Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

International Literacy Day -- September 8

The United Nations has chosen September 8 to celebrate International Literacy Day.  Since 1946, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has used this occasion to highlight the continued challenge of educating 786 million adults lacking basic literacy skills world-wide. http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/literacy/


You can help in this effort.  As many of you are already doing, you can volunteer to tutor an adult learner and thereby open new doors of opportunity not previously available to that individual.  You can also simply share your experiences with others in your community.  Volunteer tutors and adult learners are the best ambassadors for programs like Project Read.  Letting others know what you do and what you have learned form being involved in the adult literacy effort can help Project Read become even more visible in the community.


Thank you for your continued commitment to a more literate and participatory society.

Author Joins Discussion at Project Read Book Club Meeting

(Project Read Learners and Tutors in conversation with author Peter Zheutelin via speakerphone)

On August 25, members of Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers Book Club were treated to a very special discussion which featured a conference call with Peter Zheutelin, author of the August book selection Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry's Extraordinary Ride.Peter contacted Project Read, after reading on this very blog, that we would be reading and discussing his book in August. On the night of the book discussion, he called from western Massachusetts and spoke with book club members for about 45 minutes. Learners and tutors at the meeting had excellent questions to ask about his book which details the real life adventures of Annie Kopchovsky as she circumnavigated the world on her bicycle in 1895.

(James, Suzanne, Tim, Joanna, and George chat with author Peter Zheutelin via speakerphone)

One of the adult learners who took part in the discussion had this to say about the author's participation: "The author speaking about the way things were at the time gave me a real appreciation for Annie's venture".

Thanks to author Peter Zheutlin, book club facilitators Mary Hilton and John Gildersleeve, and all the tutors and learners who attended, for an unforgettable evening of thought-provoking discussion.

Peter Zheutlin

 

In-Service Class for Tutors - August 31

The Invisible Tutor:

Creating exercises and assignments that your learner

will love to work on when you're away.

This hands-on workshop, presented by Project Read staff, will give you some easy-to-use materials and strategies to encourage your learner to work independently to enhance his or her reading, writing, and study skills.

Tuesday, August 31

6:00 - 7:30 PM

Project Read Conference Room & Computer Lab

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Tutors are Invited to Upcoming Tutor Roundtable Meetings

Here's a reminder to all Project Read tutors about our upcoming Tutor Roundtable meetings. These monthly roundtables are designed as open discussions about any and all tutoring concerns. Please make plans to join us to pick up some fresh perspectives and new instructional tips from your fellow tutors and staff.

Here is a schedule of upcoming roundtable meetings for the remainder of 2010. All meetings are held in the Project Read conference room at the Main Library.

• Saturday, August 7, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 7, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 16, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 9, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

And of course, pizza will be served.

Join the Wednesday Night Readers Book Club!

This is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club over the next few months. Tutor-learner teams are encouraged to pick up these FREE books and audio books and then make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion.

Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londerry’s Extraordinary Ride by Peter Zheutlin (Discussed at August 25 meeting—books & audio available July 28) The lives of women in the 1890s were constrained by social mores, family obligations, and restrictive clothing. Annie Kopchovsky, immigrant, wife, and mother of three, seems to have had no qualms about doing the opposite of what the times dictated. So liberated was Annie that she cooked up a scheme to circle the globe on a bicycle—even though she had barely been on a bike—to earn fame and money. She abandoned her husband and children and made up a traveling identity, calling herself Annie Londonderry. Well researched and written by a great-nephew of Annie's, this true story illuminates family life, journalism, advertising, and recreation of that era. The author, Peter Zheutlin, will be joining the discussion via conference call to answer questions and comment on the process of writing this fascinating true account. (171 pages)

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas (Discussed at the September 29 meeting—books & audio available August 25) Rennie Stroud looks back to 1942, when she was 13, to tell a powerful coming-of-age story. That year, the U.S. government opened a Japanese internment camp outside Ellis, CO, less than a mile from her family’s farm. Rennie observes the prejudice of some of the townspeople as well as her parents' strong moral code and their emotions of the time. When a young girl is murdered, suspicion naturally turns to the camp, and the town is divided by fear. This strong, provocative novel is a moving examination of prejudice and fear that addresses issues of community discord. The author’s phrasing and language bring the 1940s to life, and she has created characters that will linger with the reader. (299 pages)

47 by Walter Mosley (Discussed at the October 27 meeting--books & audio available September 29) 47 is the first young adult novel to be written by bestselling author Walter Mosley. A master storyteller, Mosley deftly mixes speculative and historical fiction in this daring novel. Set in a plantation, 47 (a young slave boy) is growing up under the watchful eye of a slave master. His life seems doomed, until he meets the mysterious Tall John who not only introduces him to an unimaginable magical science but teaches 47 the meaning of freedom. (232 pages)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (Discussed at the December 1 meeting—books & audio available October 27) When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"—wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have…and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come. (206 pages)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Discussed at the January 26 meeting—books & audio available December 1) Stephenie Meyer's thrilling debut novel is a love story with a bite. In this suspenseful and sensual tale, 17-year-old Isabella moves to a small town in Washington State and gets more excitement than she bargained for when she falls for an enigmatic classmate -- who happens to be a vampire. Filled with fantastic mystery and romance, it's a heart-stopping novel that captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. (498 pages, but you have 2 months to read--the book club does not meet in December)