Dollar General Summer Reading Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Summer Reading Grants provide funding to local nonprofit organizations and libraries to help with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs. Programs must target Pre-K through 12th grade students who are new readers, below grade level readers or readers with learning disabilities.

Dollar General Adult Literacy Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Adult Literacy Grants award funding to nonprofit organizations that provide direct service to adults in need of literacy assistance. Organizations must provide help in one of the following instructional areas:

• Adult Basic Education
• General Education Diploma Preparation
• English Language Acquisition

Dollar General Family Literacy Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation Family Literacy Grants provide funding to family literacy service providers. The Foundation uses the federal government’s definition of family literacy when reviewing grant applications. Organizations applying for funding must have the following four components:Adult Education Instruction

• Children’s Education
• Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)
• Parenting Classes

Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Deadline: May 16, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Grant funding is provided to assist in the following areas:

• Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
• Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
• Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs

For the past year, an adult learner has been working one-on-one with her volunteer tutor through Morton College’s Project CARE. She has learned how to use e-mail and Facebook to communicate with her tutor, friends and family. She is also getting help with valuable life skills such as writing a resume, filling out online job applications and interviewing for jobs.

This adult learner has a long-term goal of taking Early Childhood Education classes to pursue a career working with young children. With the help of her tutor, she is studying to achieve a score on the college placement test that will allow her to take a developmental English class. She continues to work on a portfolio of her writing samples, and her tutor plans to put these into a book so the learner can see her progress over time. Both student and tutor look forward to her achieving her goal of working with young children.

A teenage couple and their baby joined the high school family literacy program operated by Association House.  The couple wanted to complete their high school education and the baby attended the child education program while both parents attended classes. The parents studied hard, attended class regularly and sought additional academic help and support from the child education program staff. Staff helped the parents study for tests, proofread papers and complete research projects. Both parents attended PACT time (Parents and Children Together) before and after school, and faithfully attended and participated in weekly parent education workshops.

Neither parent had ever been to a library before they began participating in the family literacy program. They are now library cardholders and attend the library on their own time. The mother graduated from high school last year, the first in her family to receive a high school diploma, and plans to work while attending college. The father will graduate this year.

They are both committed to ensuring that their daughter continues to learn throughout her life with their support. Learning has truly become a family affair.

Over the past 30 years, iREAD has grown to become a leader of Summer Reading Program development by providing libraries with all of the resources they need to promote, launch, and execute great reading programs. Increasingly, iREAD themes and programs are being used year-round in schools and literacy programs. For more information, call 877-565-1896 or visit here.

An adult learner entered the program at Robinson Public Library District with marginal literacy skills. He had been in special education classes, but dropped out of school during his freshman year. His attitude was one of defeat — he would seldom make eye contact, communicated little and had very little confidence in himself. The man attended tutoring sessions for a few months, but, unfortunately dropped out when he could no longer travel to classes.

After a year he decided to try again, and this time seemed more determined. During his year away, the man had looked for a job and was unable to obtain one because prospective employers told him he needed a GED. After working with a tutor, the man improved his reading and writing skills enough to begin studying for the GED test. After taking the GED test, he brought the results to the program staff to share his achievement. He had received a perfect score on the science test! Staff encouraged him to visit Lincoln Trail College to see what program might work for him. The man enrolled in a new program, Process Technology, and is now working as an intern at a local ethanol plant.

Applicants will need a control and branch number to access the application. Please email Jo Anne Hughes at jhughes@ilsos.net to obtain your agency’s numbers.

They manage with the help of parenting classes at John A. Logan that cover such topics as thrift store shopping, managing a grocery budget and finding assistance with home repairs. In spite of everything, the family never misses a family literacy activity. When field trips are offered, they view them as mini-vacations, since they have no money for vacations. The mother helps the girls with homework and plays board games with them. She also takes the girls to the library each week, and never misses a school program or teacher’s conference. Mom has a “can-do” attitude, never complains about her situation, and is an inspiration to others in the program.

As a newcomer to the United States, this adult learner was shy and lacked confidence. At the age of 24 and with a young child, she knew she needed to improve her limited English-speaking skills. After being matched with a volunteer tutor, they practiced so she would be able to talk to her baby’s pediatrician. The woman learned how to telephone the doctor’s office to make an appointment and describe symptoms. They also worked on questions she might need to ask the doctor and what answers to expect.

Even though the woman had a part-time job, she wanted to learn how to fill out job applications and enhance her interview skills. Her tutor took her to the local mall to obtain several different employment applications. As her confidence grew, she decided to interview for a job at a local restaurant. After passing four tutorials and reading several documents, she was hired as a part-time employee. Nine months after entering the literacy program, she can now read to her child, converse on the telephone, speak English at work, use the computer, find information in the newspaper and has opened a bank account. The woman is on her way to a brighter future in her new country.

A mother of five children lives a few blocks from the school where literacy classes are held and walks to class each night with her four daughters. The woman’s job ends right before classes start, so she rushes to get to class because she knows that learning English is the key to improving her life and the lives of her children.

After much work, communication in English has become the norm for this family. All family members participate in class field trips. The mother especially enjoys lessons in the parent education component. The entire family is making improvements in their English speaking skills and in learning about their new community.