October Highlights:
Project READ Redwood City - Adult Programs:
Adult learners worked with their tutors for over 185 hours in October. Tutoring pairs worked together to build their overall literacy skills, including completing college work and studying for the High School Equivalency Test. Five new pairs were matched this month. One learner, a mother of two young Project READ learners, gained 2.5 reading levels in the first six months working with her tutor. She can now read storybooks to her children. Adult Literacy Computer Lab: Forty seven adults worked on their reading and phonics skills using the Project READ Literacy Computer Lab this month. Our computer lab learners worked to improve their pronunciation, vocabulary, reading and writing skills using Rosetta Stone and Lexia Core 5 learning programs. Overall, the Project READ Adults logged in 274 computer hours this month working in the Project READ Adult Literacy Computer Lab.
Family Literacy Instructional Center:
In the month of October we served over 100 students in the Family Literacy Instructional Center, our drop-in literacy program. Students were tutored by over 15 adult tutors, and over 30 active teen and tween tutors this month. In addition to honing their literacy and homework skills, students worked in small groups at our listening station and craft stations, worked on computers and played word-building and strategy games with peers, tutors and staff.
Project READ’s Story Hour at the Downtown Library:
In October, over 94 students, tutors and family members from Project READ’s Youth and Family programs came together and enjoyed meeting the animals of “Wild Things, Inc.” During the performance the children and family members met many different wild animals including skunks and alligators. They learned lots of fascinating facts about these animals and the importance of taking care of them. Families received a beautiful Family Book and each child also enjoyed completing crafts and choosing books to complement their home libraries. Hands On Bay Area volunteers were with us to help our learners create art projects using household and recycled materials.
Redwood City Friends of Literacy presented the 26th Annual Trivia Bee:
It all started here in Redwood City when our Project READ staff and volunteers thought up this amazing event to raise funds and awareness of our literacy program services.
This October marked the 26th year of our annual Trivia Bee! The Trivia BEE, presented by Redwood City Friends Of Literacy, promotes literacy awareness and raises funds to support Redwood City Project READ’s programs. The event was held on the beautiful Cañada College campus, where teams competed in a night filled with trivia, Hors d'oeuvres and deliciously decadent desserts. Community members, volunteers, learners, tutors, Library Board members and Redwood City City Council members all got in on the Buzz this year. Over 200 people took part or cheered on our competitive Trivia Bee teams in a battle of esoteric knowledge. The competition was fierce to earn the coveted title of Redwood City Trivia Bee Champion. In the end ZAP Think Tank took home the title again. Join us next year and test your knowledge of the most useless,esoteric and frivolous facts! It’s a fun filled evening and an amazing way to promote literacy and school success in our community! Hope to see you at the Bee!
Visit our Trivia BEE webpage for more details about the BEE. http://www.projectreadredwoodcity.org/#!bee/c1z0
November Highlights
Project READ and Sequoia Trace Program:
The Trace Program is a work placement and training program for high school students with disabilities. The primary purpose is to provide students with entry level employment experiences. Three young women come and volunteer with Project READ as part of this program. They help Project READ with mailers and preparing crafts.
Project READ & Junior League Book Club:
This month our bi-weekly Book Club served approximately 10 of our youngest students. Parents were invited at each Book CLub to read along with their child and tutor in a round table format. After the book is read, students create a pre-literacy craft related to the book they read. Each student brings home a new book to build upon their home library.
Family Literacy Instructional Program & Kids In Partnership Programs:
In the month of November we served over 100 students at Project READ. Students were tutored by our 10 adult tutors, and over 25 active teen and tween tutors this month. In addition to honing their literacy and homework skills, students worked in small groups at our listening station and craft stations, worked on computers and played word-building and strategy games with peers, tutors and staff.
Second Annual Brick Monkey Fundraiser:
Brick Monkey Squared hosted a charity fashion show November 8th, benefitting Project READ. The afternoon was filled with fun and fashion all supporting local literacy. Among the models showcasing the season’s newest looks were Project READ tutors and learners, including a mother daughter duo and Miss Redwood City. The fashion show was hosted at Brick Monkey, 2400 Broadway, Redwood City.
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported local business and literacy!
Project Read Families For Literacy Story Hour:
Sixty eight learners and their families attended Project READ’s two Story Hours held at the downtown library and the Fair Oaks Branch Library. At the Downtown Library, students enjoyed dancing along to Andy Z’s interactive musical performance. In the Fair Oaks Library, Mike and Anjaline Eppley entertained the crowd with a musical story hour. Each family was given a beautiful family book to take home with them, and all were welcome to select their own titles from our collection of books. Hands on Bay Area volunteers were on hand to help young learners make pre-literacy Thanksgiving crafts to share with their families.
Project READ Adult Jail Program
The FATHERS and Families Program has been serving the men and women of Redwood City's county jails since 2001. This parenting skills program is designed to help inmates make contact with their children and be better parents. The program usually runs for 5 or 6 weeks and focuses on child development. Inmate learners discover the value of discipline over punishment, and learn the importance of reading to their children. Each inmate participant selects a new children's book to send home to each of their children along with a CD of them reading the story. In this way absent parents get the chance to read bedtime stories to their distant children. Ten men graduated the course.
Project READ Redwood City - Adult Programs:
Project READ Adult Tutor Learner Pairs worked together for over 165 hours this November. Three adult learners gained, on average, 1 reading level after working with a tutor for 6 months. Another three adult learners were matched with tutors this month. One new learner, a young mother of two children, started working one-on-one with a tutor. She and her entire family are now all working with Project READ tutors to improve their literacy skills.