If You Can Read This Headline, You Should Read This Story

July 23, 2008

Why should you read this story? Because about one in five people in North Escambia are unable to read and comprehend this story, or a story they might try to read in a printed newspaper. And those people need your help.

But Learn to Read of Northwest Florida is working to change that. Right now, there are four people in the North Escambia area that are ready to learn to read, but there are no tutors to teach them.

Learn to Read executives and volunteers meet with community leaders Tuesday in Century to ask for…almost beg for…help in finding tutors.

During the year that Learn to Read has operated a Century office, only six tutors have volunteered. That’s a number that Learn to Read leaders are not happy with.

ltr.jpg“We are committed to the program and to making it work,” Tom Allen (pictured left), president of Learn to Read, said. “We desperately, desperately need volunteers, especially volunteers that are willing to tutor.”

Allen cited statistics that about one in five Escambia residents are either unable to read at all, or they read at a low, non-functioning level.

“These people can’t function in society,” he said.

Learn to Read volunteer tutors typically meet with their students one on one for about an hour and a half two times per week, according to tutor trainer Georgia Brazzell. Complete training and materials are provided at no charge.

ltr20.jpgEdna Earle Barnes (pictured left), the Century coordinator for Learn to Read, said she would like to have found more than six tutors out of two workshops held in Century. “But it is six more than we had when we started,” she said.

Volunteer tutors must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma. A degree or teaching experience is not needed.

An orientation session for potential tutors will be held on Thursday, August 14 from 10:00 until 11:30 a.m. at the old Century hospital. The next tutoring workshop in Century will be held on Saturday, August 23. Registration is required. To register, call 256-0880 or 473-4347.

Tutors and students do not have to reside in Century or Escambia County, Florida. Everyone is welcome.

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