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Read Muskegon Launches Countywide Literacy Collaborative

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Muskegon County is clearly on the move, but over 20,000 adults in our community are at a virtual standstill because they cannot read well enough to fill out a job or housing application, read safety information in the workplace, follow healthcare instructions, or read to their children and grandchildren. The literacy statistics are even more staggering for our children.  Less than 50% of our 5-year-olds enter kindergarten ready to learn and more than 60% of our incoming 4th graders are not reading at grade level.

 

There is a literacy crisis in Muskegon County and it is time to take dramatic, focused action to combat it.

 

We know that no single education system, government agency or non-profit organization can independently resolve this issue.  That’s why Read Muskegon is leading a countywide effort to develop a results-oriented literacy collaborative dedicated to combating the illiteracy crisis through collective impact. Together, Read Muskegon and its extensive network of collaborative partners are focused on ensuring that all individuals in need of improved literacy skills, no matter their age, have access to the information and resources they need to succeed.

 

The collaborative includes a broad spectrum of community partners including: the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, Community Foundation for Muskegon County, MI Reading Corps, Mercy Health – Community Health Project, Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office, Muskegon Community College, Baker College, Goodwill, United Way, Talent 2025, Chamber of Commerce, Region 4 Adult Education, West MI Works, White Lake Community Education, Muskegon Area District Libraries, Hackely Public Library, Urban League, and city & state government officials.  Equally as important, we are actively engaging resident voices as members and leaders of the collaborative.

 

Over the past 12 months, collaborative members have been working in partnership with the National Center for Families Learning to assess the literacy landscape in Muskegon County through interviews, surveys and community focus groups. What did we find?  We’re doing a lot of things right and we’ve got a lot of great programs ready to support our communities.  But, we also found a lot of gaps in service and systemic challenges that are creating barriers to success for our most vulnerable learners, across their life span.

 

 

85 individuals gathered last September to review the findings and prioritize next steps.  As a result, three initial action teams were formed. The Collaborative Steering Committee has been focused on creating the mission, vision and structure for the group. The Public Awareness team will work on creating a campaign to increase the general public understanding of illiteracy and connect community members to services. The Integrated Continuum of Services team is working to ensure a seamless transition from birth through adult literacy supports with a focus on family literacy and breaking generational cycles.

 

The next meeting of the collaborative will take place on Thursday, March 26th, from 9:30-12:00. If you are interested in more information, please contact Melissa Moore. 231-830-5539 or Melissa.moore@readmuskegon.org.

 

 

Project Fatherhood Book Club

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“Just because it’s easier to build strong children than repair broken men, doesn’t mean we leave men broken.”  – Jason Wilson, Cry Like A Man

 

Literacy is about more than the ability to read words. It’s about using the power of those words to change the course of your life: to participate in your community, to achieve your goals, to create a better future for your children. That is the foundation of the Project Fatherhood Book Club, a weekly gathering of fathers hosted by Read Muskegon that engages men in reading books that provoke intense and often difficult conversations with a goal of changing life outcomes for the participants, their children and their larger community.

In 2010, former gang member turned community activist Big Mike Cummings asked UCLA gang expert Jorja Leap to co-lead a group of men struggling to be better fathers in Watts, South LA, a neighborhood long burdened with a legacy of racialized poverty, violence, and incarceration. These men came together each week to help one another answer the question ‘How can I be a good father when I’ve never had one?’ The book Project Fatherhood follows the lives of the men as they struggle with the pain of their own losses, the pressures of poverty and unemployment, and the desire to do better for the next generation. Recognizing similar struggles exist for men here in Muskegon County, the book became the inspiration for Read Muskegon’s Project Fatherhood Book Club.

 

          

 

 

The Project Fatherhood Book Club began in 2019 with a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion grant from the Anton Family Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. They funded the first 8-week session. As the group grew, the dads let us know that the book club needed to continue. Read Muskegon, along with our partner, Dads on Deck, has committed to making that happen.  Our focus is to empower participants to break the generational cycles of illiteracy, incarceration and poverty.

The Project Fatherhood Book Club meets in 8-week sessions with each session focused on a book selected by the participants.  Shared reading aloud from the book, discussion, and journaling are be incorporated into each session with a focus on using written text as the catalyst for processing difficult issues, expressing thoughts and feelings in a constructive manner, and setting personal goals. Read Muskegon’s instructor facilitates the process of shared reading in a way that is sensitive to all reading levels. Each week also incorporates a guest speaker or shared information that focuses on one of the social determinants of health such as: the importance of physical & mental health, cooperative parenting, father activity/fun time, financial literacy & stability, advocacy and engagement in children’s education. Participants who would like to receive extra reading support can meet one on one with a Read Muskegon tutor or staff member.

We need the financial support of our community to make this happen. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to support the book club through 2020. Funds will cover books, food, facilitators, materials, and family & community events developed by the dads. Please consider supporting this group of fathers who are working hard to change the outcomes for the next generation.

Click Here to Donate

 

Grand Opening October 25th

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Grand Opening 

Read Muskegon’s

Family Literacy Center

26 E. Broadway

 

Join us on

Wednesday, October 25th

11:00 Refreshments & Tours

11:30 Ribbon Cutting

 

For More Information:

Melissa Moore 231-830-5539  or  melissa.moore@readmuskegon.org

The mission of Read Muskegon is to increase the quality of life in

 Muskegon County through improved literacy.

www.readmuskegon.org

 

Experience Read Muskegon: A Conversation About Literacy

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Join us at our new Family Literacy Center at 26 E. Broadway for a one-hour conversation. Learn how adult illiteracy is impacting our county. Find out how Read Muskegon is breaking generational cycles of illiteracy through customized programs that meet the unique needs of our learners. Tour our new location and learn how it will play a critical role in our mission.

June 22 8:30 am     June 22 4:30 pm

July 11 10:00 am     July 11 4:30 pm

July 20 8:00 am     July 20 5:00 pm

Aug 3 10:00 am     Aug 3 4:30 pm

RSVP to Tish Williams:

tish.williams@readmuskegon.org    231-747-7273

www.readmuskegon.org

 

 

 

 

Read Muskegon Presents: Vox Vidorra & The EduKators

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Join us at the Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, May 21st for a great night of music by two talented West Michigan bands. All event proceeds will support Read Muskegon’s mission of providing free literacy programs to the over 21,000 low literacy adults in our county.

Vox Vidorra (voxvidorra.com) is a four person indie/soul quartet from Grand Rapids whose name means “the voice of the life you were meant to live.”   Their recent album, Promise Land, won the 2016 Jammie Album of the Year and was selected as the featured song of Art Prize 2015.

“…a singularly infectious mix of soul, rock and jazz.” – localspin.com

“…Vox Vidorra wowed the audience with their energetic, soulful live performance.” – Tom Stankard, Daily Globe.

“Vox Vidorra craft rich, colorful soul songs with flecks of jazz and indie rock” – revuewm.com

“Vox Viodorra will get you to put that cell phone down.” –mlive.com

The Edukators spend their spare time as teachers and administrators in Muskegon County schools.  Playing a blend of old and new favorites, they’ve filled venues like the Howmet Playhouse in support of great causes and a good time. There’s nothing better than discovering your biology teacher leads a secret life as a rock star!

 

Click here for tickets.

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7th Annual Scrabble FUNdraiser ~ March 5th

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Join Us For The

7th Annual

scrabble logo

Saturday, March 5th, 6-9 pm

Watermark 920

 

scrabble fundraiser 3  scrabble wonks
scrabble fundraiser 2  scrabble best costume winner

 

Gather up your favorite Words With Friends addicts or your wordy co-workers
for an evening of friendly competition and a little bit of healthy local rivalry
all in support of Read Muskegon’s mission of creating
a more literate Muskegon County.
$100 registration fee for teams of 2-4 players.  
Includes a light dinner.
Cash bar ~ Raffle
Prizes for high and low score, highest single word score
and most creative team name/costumes

6:00 Check-in, Food & Drinks
7:00 Games Begin
Register online at www.readmuskegon.org

For more information please contact Louise at 231-769-5985 or louise.schaallema@readmuskegon.org

The Gift of Literacy – Part 2

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In mid-December, we hosted our 2nd Annual Holiday Literacy Village for families involved in Read Muskegon programs, enrolled in local Head Starts or participating in other parent support programs. Parents and children made their way through nine stations, each focused on fun ways to build early literacy skills. Before heading home, each child was able to select several books to keep and each parent was provided with a literacy resource bag. Thank you to all of those who helped make this event possible including our many individual donors. And a big thanks to the Whitehall High School NHS students who got up bright and early on a Saturday morning to volunteer! The gift of literacy is one that will last a lifetime.

 

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Read Muskegon is Moving!

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We are excited to announce that we will be moving our offices over the next few weeks.  We have enjoyed the last several years working out of the Muskegon Area District Library offices on Airline Road and are thankful for their partnership, but our long-term goal has always been to move to downtown Muskegon so that we would be more accessible to our learners.

Our new office will be located in the heart of downtown, at Central United Methodist Church, 1011 2nd Street.  The church is also the home of Kid’s Food Basket.

office 1      office 2

Over the next several weeks, we will still be providing services but our office space will be closed while we paint, move and reorganize.  If you need to check out or return resources during that time, please contact Sarah at 766-5040 and she will arrange to meet you.  Our phone numbers and mailing address will remain the same.

We’ll have an open house at our new space early in 2016.  Hope to see you all there!