2023 Project Showcase

Literacy Leadership

2023 Project Showcase

Teddy Larson

August 2022-23

Teddy was an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the Distance Learning project at Literacy Minnesota. He recently graduated college from UW-Madison with a Sociology and Communication Arts degree.

Distance Learning Project Literacy Minnesota Teddy Larson August 2022-2023 with photo of Teddy.

Project description

The goal of the Distance Learning project is to build capacity for Minnesota Adult Basic Education (ABE) distance learning programming – in much greater need than ever before – in 3 main areas:

  1. Build capacity for Literacy Minnesota’s distance learning and digital literacy volunteers.
  2. Improve processes related to distance learning and HyFlex instruction statewide.
  3. Build capacity for distance learning programming in Literacy Minnesota’s Open Door Learning Centers.

Infrastructure, partnerships, training, materials and programming developed during this project will inform and expand to the entire ABE field in Minnesota so that adult learners statewide acquire literacy skills that build pathways out of poverty.

Mena Duarte

August 2021-23

Mena graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Economics. She's a strong believer in supporting lifelong learning, which made her really excited to support literacy through the Open Door Collective!

Mena's personal work includes launching a podcast called Curiosity Built the Empire - an interview series on entrepreneurs who built a business on what they were curious about.

At the end of 2023, Mena began a third year with our cohort as the Literacy Leader for Literacy Minnesota's Distance Learning Project.

Image of Mena: Open Door Collective: Literacy Minnesota: Mena Duarte August 2022-2023

Project description

The goal of this project is to increase the membership and fundraising for Open Door Collective (ODC) in order to create an organization with a wider lens and knowledge base around poverty reduction.

ODC members are volunteers and have expertise in connecting adult literacy skills to employment, health care and higher education. Helping all adults to acquire literacy and digital skills will improve economic outcomes for all. Membership is crucial for providing a voice to the movement.

An AmeriCorps member dedicated to increasing the sustainability, reach and efficacy of ODC would help benefit the 41.2 million adults in need of literacy skills. As this program results in new members, partners and resources, it will allow for program expansion.

Sybil Morrison

August 2022-23

Image of Sybil: Digital Navigator: scaleLIT: Sybil Morrison: August 2022-2023

Project description

This project will explore the current state of the "Digital Divide" and its related causes. It will examine digital learning, identify the areas of greatest need and implement programs to aid in the community's development. ScaleLIT will develop learning circles and communities of action that are not just concerned with the cost of computers, but also the presence of widespread illiteracy among overlooked populations.

Shirley Smith

January 2023-24

Image of Shirley: Green Garden Bakery Career Connects (Urban Strategies at Heritage Park, Inc.): Shirly Smith: January 2023-2024

Project description

Janeen Diming

October 2022-23

Project description

Angie Pruitt

January 2022-24

Project description

As a result of the Community Tech Workers AmeriCorps VISTA project, The Friends of Parkside will be able to provide tech support to one of the most vulnerable populations in the Parkside community: older adults. In addition, this project will promote the intergenerational learning of digital literacy in the community while developing employment skills among younger adults.

Because of this project, the community - especially seniors - will develop basic digital literacy skills so that they can function in the newly physical-virtual blended society. Our organization will subsequently be shaped by the richness and diversity of more residents who are able to engage and interact with us virtually and in person.

Anitra C. Hubbard

May 2023-24

Project description

Nadiyah Minor

February 2022-24

Project description

This project's Literacy Leader helps United Way for Southeastern Michigan reach vulnerable subpopulations, incorporate more opportunities for community voice, and increase community partnerships and funding streams to create a more widespread impact. The goal is to close the digital divide in metropolitan Detroit by 2024 so that every child and adult in the service area has access to technology, as well as possesses basic digital literacy skills in order to use the technology at their disposal.

Denise Camarillo Cruz

February 2022-24

Yohan Montiel

August 2022-23

Project description

The Literacy Leaders for the project work with Make the Road New York’s (MRNY) Strategic Planning team to expand and strengthen an integrated digital literacy strategy with three strands:

  1. Expand digital literacy tutoring for MRNY’s current adult literacy students.
  2. Expand digital literacy instruction for community members not enrolled in adult literacy classes.
  3. Build a digital navigation program within MRNY by developing resources, coaching tools and volunteer structure.

In 3–5 years, the AmeriCorps VISTA project will expand digital literacy to low-income community members, resulting in the ability to more easily work, live and go to school in our increasingly digital world.

Aden Osman

August 2022-23

Project description

This second-year project will develop strategic supports for the programming infrastructure established in the first year in two key ways:

  1. Develop tools and capacity-building frameworks for program evaluation.
  2. Increase the library’s engagement with underserved communities and families living in poverty by developing community engagement models and training for front-line staff.

The project will also build capacity by developing regional passive programs as well as training tools to ensure staff in all 32 Great River Regional Library (GRRL) locations have access to the tools, concepts and resources that will enable them to best provide cohesive literacy-based programming for children and youth.

Crystal Brumfield

January 2023-24

Project description

Catie Hall

March 2023-24

Project description