Andy Francis

Bio:

My name is Andy and I'm originally from Iowa. I've spent the last four years teaching English to Buddhist monks in India. This year I'm pursuing an M.A. in TESOL. I'm very passionate about Adult Education and Community Engagement. I'm excited to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA.

Project description:

The Literacy Leader will develop initiatives in universal design and accessibility to support inclusion of learners and volunteers with disabilities at Adult Basic Education (ABE) sites across Minnesota. They will research disability issues, identify sites that are able to provide accomodatons for learner and volunteer referrals, promote best accessibility practices and train learning centers to improve their accommodation process. In addition, they will research technology platforms to create a webinar training system to reach ABE volunteers who face barriers to attending on-site workshops. Our goal is to provide accessible, inclusive and equitable learning and working environments for everyone to access and get involved with literacy.