Donate Now

The Marion County Literacy Council is sad to announce their Executive Director, Summer Gill,  is leaving after more than five years of service with the organization. The Executive Director’s job position is now open to the public.

To view the job description and qualifications, please click the link below:

MCLC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB POSTING FINAL 2020

To apply, please submit the following materials:

(1.)  A brief cover letter explaining your interest in the role (1 page);

(2.)  An up-to-date resume (1 page); and

(3.)  A piece or portfolio of work that highlights your experience in the area of fundraising and donor relations that can help the hiring committee understand more fully your approach to development work.

 

All materials should be submitted as attachments to a single email, sent directly to R.J. Jenkins—President of the Board of Directors of the Marion County Literacy Council—at arge.jenkins@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Click below to access the report

2018-2019 Annual Report

MEET THE TUTOR: R.J. JENKINS 

There are some people who walk into your life and brighten it immediately.  These folks make you smile, laugh, and look at life with a new perspective. R.J. is that kind of person for many of us here in Marion County.  R.J. joined the Literacy Council team as a volunteer tutor in March 2017 and became a Board member for the Council shortly thereafter.  R.J. serves as a curriculum designer for the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration at Columbia University in New York City, faculty coordinator at Webster University here in Ocala, and the founder of Pyxis Admissions, a boutique college consulting company.  Read more about R.J. and why he chose the Literacy Council as vehicle for creating positive change in Ocala and Marion County.

R.J., please tell us a little about yourself?

I was a pretty bookish kid. I wasn’t crazy nerdy or anything – I played sports and had friends and whatever – but I loved reading the way other kids loved playing video games. I used to smuggle Jane Austen novels into school and, when class would get boring, I would hide in the bathroom and read. Gross, I know. My love of reading came in handy in college, and I ended up pursuing doctoral work in English literature, because, um… I’m still not sure. People always ask me about my favorite book. It’s The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, a novel about super rich, super backstabby women who have nothing better to do than try to destroy each other socially. I mean, what’s not to love, right? OMG it’s so good.

Why did you decide to become involved in the Literacy Council?

Like most helping professions, teaching is a calling, and if you’re called to do it, then it’s tough to ignore that call. I taught as a graduate student at Cambridge and Harvard, and I taught when I worked as a dean at Columbia, and so when I relocated to Ocala almost two years ago, I knew I had to find a way to keep teaching. The Literacy Council felt like a wonderful way to continue doing what I love and help people at the same time. Also, teaching English to speakers of other languages affords me ample opportunity to feed my inner grammar snob. Like, it’s literally my job to make sure that my students understand the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” Being able to nerd out shamelessly about grammatical minutiae is a real perk of the job.

  In what capacity do you serve the Literacy Council?

I teach elementary, intermediate, and advanced ESOL classes. I also serve as a member of the Board.

 What have you found to be the most rewarding part of serving at the Literacy Council?

The students. No question. Watching women and men work hard to become more capable, more confident speakers of English is incredible. As someone who learned to speak another language as an adult, I appreciate the time and dedication it takes, and the sacrifice it demands. I also know that learning a new language, especially as an adult, requires real humility, and a willingness to be vulnerable. What’s going on in these classrooms is extraordinary, and I have so much respect and admiration for our students who have decided to enrich themselves, either by learning to speak, read, and write English, or by learning how to read. What they’re doing takes more than just hard work; it takes courage.

Why should others care about Adult Literacy?

People should care about adult literacy for the same reasons they care about child literacy – because we know for a fact that quality of life is better for people who can read than for people who can’t. We also know that people who can read are better able to contribute in meaningful ways to our community and to our economy, and so making sure that folks in Ocala and Marion County can read makes good economic sense as well as good ethical and moral sense. At the risk of sounding like the bleeding heart that I am, a community is only as good as it treats its least fortunate, most vulnerable members, and so I was thrilled to learn when I moved to Ocala that the Literacy Council – and so many other amazing organizations in town – are working hard every day to help folks who need it and are willing to work for it. A rising tide lifts all boats, and I see a lot of individuals and organizations out there trying to raise the tide here in Ocala. It’s exciting, and I think it says a lot about what kind of a community we are, and what kind of place we aspire to be.

What other groups are you involved in?

I serve on the Associate Board of the Reilly Arts Center, and I work closely with the Historic Ocala Preservation Society. Both are amazing organizations full of caring, smart, super talented people committed to making Ocala an even better place to live, work, and play than it already is.

How has serving with the literacy council changed you, personally?

I’m not sure that my service with the Literacy Council has changed me so much as reminded me – acutely – of the incredible power of language. We live our lives in language: we do business in language, we raise our children in language, we conduct our relationships in language, we fight and we grieve and we fall in love… all in language. There is nothing outside of it; everything we do and say and even think is only possible because language makes it possible. Imagine, then… what must the person feel like who doesn’t fully command that language? How frightening and frustrating and alienating must it be not to understand the language your life is written in? And how empowering must it feel to learn how to navigate – how to read and to write – in the language that makes up your whole world?

I’m reminded of these questions every time I teach. Literacy isn’t just learning how to read and write. It’s learning how to be – how to live – in a world made up of words.

What advice do you have for prospective tutors or volunteers?

Just do it. Come visit the Literacy Council and learn about what we do, and figure out how you can help. Maybe that’s tutoring one of our English language learners one-on-one for an hour a week. Maybe it’s helping someone earn their GED. Or maybe it’s teaching someone how to read. Whatever it is, it will help, and it will make a massive, positive difference in someone’s life. Seemingly small acts can make big impacts. Make your impact today.

Partners in Literacy: College Park Elementary

Over the course of the next few months, we will be introducing you to new partnerships the Literacy Council are building to more strategically help our community with its Literacy needs.

In January the Literacy Council began a wonderful partnership with College Park Elementary.  On Tuesday and Thursday evenings we teach an ESOL (English as a Second Language) class to the parents of the students who attend College Park Elementary.  The class of almost 30 parents are learning the basics of the English language such as understanding the difference between short and long vowel sounds.

34% of Marion County children under the age of five live in poverty. Researchers believe this is because most of those parents lack even the most basic of education. Although the school system offers children educational support, the parents are left to continue life without the proper educational support they need. As long as our school system is investing in our children, we need to equally invest in the parents of those children. Children returning to a home where a parent cannot read or speak English means a parent is unable to reinforce any educational gains made by a child. We all know a child’s first teacher is their parent and this program will directly impact a parent while indirectly impacting the child thus hopefully breaking the cycle of low poverty and educational levels. A parent’s level of educational attainment is a strong predictor of a child’s success.  Partnering with schools is the best way to reach those most in need.

This current class will continue to meet through the summer and fall at the school after which most of the students will move on to a Level 2 understanding of English.  We look to add both a Level 2 class and another Level 1 class at that time.  Our hope is that this program will grow to include many other elementary schools in the community.  We would like to directly focus on low performing schools and low income areas of the county to fully impact those parents in need. Eventually, we will offer not only ESOL classes but GED and basic literacy instruction to the parents at the schools.  If you are interested in tutoring at the schools, please contact the Literacy Council to get set up as a tutor.

Become a Tutor and Help Change a Life 

“With as little as two hours a week, you can positively impact an adult learner’s life,” says Summer Gill, Executive Director of the Marion County Literacy Council (MCLC).

“We are seeking more volunteer tutors to meet with an adult for a weekly 1 ½ hour session or two 1-hour sessions. Tutors are needed in Language Arts (reading, writing, and grammar), Math, GED preparation, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. Bilingual tutors are also a need as we encounter more Spanish speakers with lower English skills, and as we expand our GED program to our Spanish speakers.”

Adult students come to MCLC with varied goals, from improving job promotion prospects to functioning better in today’s complex environment. In the past 12 months, 100 tutors have worked with more than 500 motivated adults. Tutors meet with students at our downtown office (south of the main post office) or elsewhere based on need.

Tutor qualifications include:

 

To apply to become a tutor, contact Summer Gill at (352) 690-READ (690-7323) or summer@marionliteracy.org

 

 

 

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Let me ask you, do you care about the future of Marion County? It’s a pointed question I know.  Of course you do.  But what are you doing to truly impact that future?  I’m asking you, today, to take a step forward and care about that future in a more effective and direct manner, by supporting the Marion County Literacy Council. 

The Literacy Council is focused on providing our community’s adults with the resources they need to improve their literacy skills. It is estimated that 19% of the adults in Marion County are unable to read above a 5th grade level, leaving many feeling hopeless, jobless or in underpaid jobs, and dependent on social services to live. Perhaps most heartbreaking is the long-term effect their low literacy has on their children. Low literacy becomes intergenerational: the strongest indicator of a child’s success in school is their mother’s level of education. You can be the difference for these families.

If you think adult illiteracy and low education doesn’t affect you, think again.  Low literate adults struggle to find employment, struggle to help their children with homework, struggle to understand a bus schedule, instructions on a bottle of medication, and nutritional information on a package of food.  This is because literacy means not only the ability to read, but the ability to read well, to process information and solve problems.  To give a brief example, this letter is nearly impossible for many of our students to read or most importantly understand.  Their skills are limited to understanding short, simple texts, and one-step math problems.

The plight of low literacy stretches beyond individual families and impacts us all.

Literacy Council – What We Do!

Our students want a better life for themselves and their families.  Coming to the Literacy Council is the way they will achieve that goal. We provide programming to over 400 students a year with one-on-one tutoring and small group classes. We offer adult programming throughout the county in the following areas:

WE NEED YOU!!!

As you can see, a community with high illiteracy rates is a community in need.  If you want to impact Marion County, you have to impact it at the most basic level: Education.  To allow us to help our students, we need several things to be in place: a strong tutor force, strong tutor training, accurate assessments, the right books and materials for the specific needs of individual students, safe and public work stations, and of course community support. Abuse rates, substance abuse issues, crime rates, government assistance dependency and workforce all are impacted when you tackle the issue of adult literacy.  By donating to the Literacy Council you are not only changing the lives of our students, but you are changing Marion County.  You are creating jobs, a better life, and a better community.

The Literacy Council needs you. Our students need you.

We are a small organization, with only two paid staff members, but we currently host more than 70 volunteer tutors and three work-study students sponsored by Rasmussen College.  We are only sustained by your dollars, a few small fundraisers, and a small grant by United Way.  Dollars continue to decrease but we have more students walking in our doors and costs such as materials, books, electric and insurance increase.

While this year has been a huge success for so many in our community, our organization has been challenged. Please help us continue our work and positively impact lives in Marion County.

As we celebrate this time of giving and rebirth in the coming weeks, we hope you will consider making the Literacy Council part of your end-of-year plans and your charity of choice for 2018.  For one student, it generally cost around $400 a year to help them reach their goals.   There are several ways you can make your impact:

There are so many wonderful organizations in our community, but in the end we help someone achieve the greatest of life’s gifts… self-sufficiency.  A person, who previously could not get a job, because they didn’t understand the job application or didn’t have a diploma, now has the skills to apply and retain employment.  They will be able to put food on their own table, provide for their families, and in turn strengthen our economy and Marion County.   They will be able to make informed health decisions and most important to many, they will now have the power to increase their child’s success in the future, breaking the cycle of low literacy, low education and poverty. 

Thank you for believing in our mission and for impacting our organization in such a huge way!  As always, please come by our office for a visit and if you or anyone in your circle have a passion for helping someone improve their literacy – we would love to have you.

Donation Form

 

Tutors Wanted by Marion County Literacy Council

To Teach Adults Reading, Language Arts, Math, GED And English As Second Language

“With as little as two hours a week, you can positively impact an adult learner’s life,” says Summer Gill, Executive Director of the Marion County Literacy Council (MCLC).

“We are seeking more volunteer tutors to meet with an adult for a weekly 1 ½ hour session or two 1-hour sessions. Tutors are needed in Language Arts (reading, writing, and grammar), Math, GED preparation, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. Bilingual tutors are also a need as we encounter more Spanish speakers with lower English skills, and as we expand our GED program to our Spanish speakers.”

Adult students come to MCLC with varied goals, from improving job promotion prospects to functioning better in today’s complex environment. In the past 12 months, 125 tutors have worked with more than 400 motivated adults. Tutors meet with students at our downtown office (south of the main post office) or elsewhere based on need.

Tutor qualifications include:

To apply to become a tutor, contact Summer Gill at (352) 690-READ (690-7323) or summer@marionliteracy.org .

At the Literacy Council, we appreciate our students and their dedication to every study session. To show our love for their efforts and hard work, the “student spotlights” are installments on certain people who help us define what our programs truly mean. In this spotlight, Roosevelt Anderson emphasizes his optimism on life and the core skills that he has gained from his classes.

Roosevelt Anderson

Where there is resilient optimism, there is Roosevelt Anderson. A student at the Marion County Literacy Council, Roosevelt enrolled himself in classes to obtain his GED diploma. In the span of his hours spent studying core skills such as reading, math, and science, Roosevelt has found a deeper meaning that delves beyond the books. “Right now I’m on the winning end of life,” Roosevelt says, “because you can’t lose if you’re trying.” The student wholly embraces every subject but prefers mathematical equations that bring sense to his restructured life. Roosevelt has not been in a learning environment for over thirty years and, though the position was a difficult adjustment at first, he emphasizes the importance of studying outside of the sessions. Roosevelt appreciates the instruction of his tutors as “the push is what he needs.” In a matter of one year, Roosevelt has improved his reading and math skills by two grade levels, boosting his confidence for the GED examination. Alongside his determination to obtain a degree that he did not have the opportunity to finish at a younger age, Roosevelt works full-time, sets aside important hours for his family, and devotes weekly time at the Literacy Council. Though life dealt him unavoidable cards that once veered away from education, Roosevelt enters each session knowing that he is one step closer to greater opportunities.

Screen Shot 2016-07-27 at 11.36.57 AM

http://youtu.be/4-F_b_Eqe58

mary and jonHere are two easy ways to help us help others!

Please consider us in your end of year giving:

Check mailed to:

Marion County Literacy Council

120 SW 5 St

Ocala, Fl 34471

Credit Card:

Please call the office at (352) 690-7323 and ask for Summer.

Become a Tutor: We need dedicated and motivate volunteers who want to help change lives. No foreign language or teaching experience is necessary. Give us a call and we will fill you in on how easy it is to become a tutor.

 

 

Literacy Council Partners and Sponsors
Copyright © 2024 Marion County Literacy Council, Inc.
Website Designed and Powered by Squeak Media
Translate »
envelopephone-handsetmap-markerchevron-downcross-circle