Whitley County Literacy Council celebrates 'phenomenal year' at annual meeting Monday night
(Talk of the Town photo by Athena Metzger) The Whitley County Literacy Council’s board of directors and staff includes, from left in row one, Sandy Slone, board president, Julie McEvoy, Literacy Council assistant, Tracey Peterson, executive director, Frances Brown, JoAnn Arnold and Leslie Rentschler. Row two, from left, is Phil Beard, Cindy Zollinger, Doug Stoffel, Bob Brittain and Dick Schuman.
By Athena Metzger
“Literacy is the key to opening up the future.”
This was the theme for the evening as the Whitley County Literacy Council met Monday night at the Eagle’s Nest Event Center for its 21st Annual Dinner.
The WCLC’s executive director, Tracey Peterson, presented the Council’s 2007 year in review and projected growth for 2008. The Literacy Council offers various programs to promote literacy in an effort to educate and prepare Whitley County residents for future opportunities. Programs available include Adult Basic Education and ESL (English as a Second Language), which is particularly valuable as Whitley County’s Hispanic population has increased in the recent past.
The Literacy Council also helps people earn their GED’s and is able to offer a site for GED testing beginning yesterday, with all slots filled up. With gas prices rising, Peterson said that the testing site is a welcome addition.
Additionally, Peterson projected continued growth in its services for 2008 and was happy to announce that the Council now offers opportunities obtain a GED to people in Whitley County Community Corrections under Judges Mike Rush and Jim Heuer, and also to those who are incarcerated under Sheriff Mark Hodges.
“Wow,” said Peterson summing up year 2007. “It has been a phenomenal year for us.”
The Council experienced a record year in several areas: total students growing from 57 in 2005 to 174 in 2007 and a projected 230 in 2008; GED’s obtained growing from 10 in 2005 to 24 in 2007 and a projected 27 in 2008; and an all-time high for donations received.
According to Peterson’s report to the Council’s Board of Directors, the center experienced a 46% growth in individual donations and has received significant grants from Drug Free Indiana Whitley County, H.A.N.D.S. Foundation, Northeast REMC, Whitley County Community Foundation, Whitley County Consolidated Schools and Whitley County United Way.
“We are growing at an extraordinary pace,” she said. “We seek new ways to serve our clients. Of course, we need community support, volunteers and money,” said Peterson.
Peterson proudly related success stories from last year, demonstrating how the council is raising public awareness about literacy.
Ten students from Haiti worked with the Council last year, each of them improving his/her education levels, one passing the GED, which will enable him to get a student VISA to study in the U.S. and potentially be life changing as Haiti’s impoverished state offers few prospects.
Another event that shows the Council’s positive impact on lives stemmed from packets that were distributed to 1600 Whitley County Consolidated students on International Literacy Day. The phone rang non-stop with inquiries, Peterson said, one mother calling the very next day to seek help for her husband who couldn’t read.
During the meeting volunteers were recognized by Sandra Slone, President of the Board, and two new Board members were nominated and added, including Doug Stoffel, a math teacher at CCHS who has published several math books, and John Gotz.