Success Stories Archive
It all started with healthcare. Janet Glime, President of Marinette and Oconto Counties Literacy Council, worked as a nurse previously and noticed people coming into the hospital not being able to read well.
When she checked the low literacy rates, she found that the highest need came from the outlying areas. With this in mind, the literacy council came to serve both Marinette and Oconto counties in Northeastern Wisconsin. The program uses one-to-one tutoring so that the learner and tutor can focus on the learner’s specific goals.
Ruth Riesch met a farmer in the Emergency Room in the hospital where she worked who couldn't read to fill out his hospital form. That interaction stuck with her for years.
When she retired, she decided to do something to help literacy in her community and became a tutor at Marinette and Oconto Counties.
She has helped learners start their own business, learn the names for tools to improve their work skills, and practice speaking with her child's school.
Jeff Burkhart, Executive Director of Literacy Network of Dane County, says, "This is one of the biggest impacts that you can make in the community . . by being a tutor and supporting the programs that we offer."
Literacy Network of Dane County provides a wide range of programs including individualized tutoring and workplace literacy tailored to employer/employee needs.
Hear more about Literacy Network
Reyna's son was diagnosed with Autism and she wanted to speak English to communicate with health care providers and the school.
After 6 years of tutoring and classes at Literacy Network of Dane County, Reyna is happy with her progress. She said, "I can fight for my children's rights and my rights too."
Listen to her story
Congratulations, Journey House, for celebrating 50 years this year. They started out as a literacy program and grew to one of the biggest programs in Milwaukee.
Jesus, a talented pastry chef and owner of Todo Postres bakery, came to Journey House to improve his English. He wanted to expand his business to an English speaking clientele.
Literacy Green Bay (LGB) works with learners to develop rudimentary skills (how to form the letters and hold a pencil) and takes them all the way to forming sentences and paragraphs and even earning their citizenship or GEDs.
Cristina came to the United States from Mexico in 2006. Two years later, she began English Language classes at Literacy Green Bay.
She was determined to improve her English skills and set a goal of obtaining citizenship. On April 4, 2019, she became a US Citizen.
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Faber recently celebrated his completion of the Fox Valley Technical College Welding Program. Click on his name to read his story.
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After living in the U.S. for more than 15 years, Lulu still needed more confidence in both reading and writing in English. She wanted to advance and get a better job, and she felt she needed to understand English better to meet that goal. She also wanted to be able to read to her children, help them with homework and feel more confident in speaking with their teachers.
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Brenda’s family moved to Green Bay when Brenda was only a year old. Since her mother knew she would need to learn English in order to secure a better job, she enrolled in English classes at Literacy Green Bay.
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Homeless to Employed, By Elijah
"I was stuck in a rut. When I came to Milwaukee Achiever I was excited for a challenge and ready to find a home. I was homeless and staying at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. The Warehouse Training program has given me the education, training and workforce development instruction for a new start on life."
