Why Literacy Matters

Still in high school but already looking to potential career paths, Michele made a promise to herself to work on her reading ability. “I wanted to have a good skill in life, and reading is an important skill,” she says.

Before founding Reading Connections in 1996, Mary Bowers was a second-grade teacher. When her son had trouble learning to read, Mary and her husband, Rick, did everything they could to help him. Rick says, “You need to be able to read well to succeed.”

When Jacob first sought help with reading and speaking English, he only knew a few words of the language. That was more than eight years ago. Since then, his English has improved so much that he now translates for others in the local Hispanic community when they need to buy something or get medical care.

In the 10 years since the Marinette and Oconto Counties Literacy Council was founded, the number of people in the area who speak English as a second language has increased. Many are immigrants who work at nearby dairy farms. Unlike more urban areas, low literacy is more common in the outlying areas of the two counties.

Miriam Morales tackles challenges head on. Furloughed from her job as a dental assistant when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, she wanted financial stability and a better education to support her then three-year-old son.

Thinking outside the box is more than a goal at the Latino Academy of Workforce Development. In fact, innovation is a key part of the strategy aimed at connecting students with career pathways.