SVECares helps promote literacy
Several thousand dollars were allotted to organizations and individuals in need during the February meeting the SVECares board. A grant of $550 was awarded to the Bledsoe County Literacy Council to assist with GED test fees for students who cannot afford to pay the entire fee.
The council which was started two years ago as a support organization for the Adult Education and the “Reading is FUNdamental” (RIF) Programs, is made up of about 11 members. The current council includes employees of the two programs as well as other concerned local citizens who are interested in promoting literacy.
Barbara Young, supervisor for the Adult Education program organized the group initially and has served as its chairman for the past two years. The idea for the group came from the State Department of Education. Given the tight budgets for education, they encouraged the county offices to develop local support groups that could raise private funds to help their students reach their goals.
According to Tracy Corder, past secretary for the group and an employee of the Adult Education Program, the council meets about once a month and “brainstorms to come up with new ideas to raise funds and to promote literacy and a life long love of reading.”
The funds they have raised have not only gone to assist low-income students pay their GED test fees, they have also purchased books for the RIF program and provided incentives to students to encourage reading.
The books have been distributed during open houses at all three elementary schools, at the pre-school day held in October and through Head Start. Corder estimates that approximately 5000 books were distributed last year.
Nearly a hundred students have been through the adult program in the current fiscal year. The numbers are down a little from the past year but there are still a few months left in the current fiscal year.
One current project is the “Connection “03” drive to raise money for books for the library at the new elementary school in Pikeville. Students are securing sponsors who will donate a specific amount of money for each book read. The Council plans to provide incentives for the students who read the greatest number of books but not necessarily the one who raises the most money. “We want the rewards to be for reading, not just collecting money,” Corder stated.
The Council welcomes new members with new ideas and volunteers who would like to give their time and talents to foster literacy in Bledsoe County. Some volunteers tutor students working on their GED, others help distribute books. The possibilities are limitless. Monetary donations are also welcome. The activities of the council are funded primarily though the sponsorship of local businesses and individuals. For more information on the Council, the Adult Education Program or the RIF program call the Adult Education Center at 447-6962.