First Annual LiteracyCares Directors Conference

The LeadershipCares Foundation
10181 Nightingale Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20882

Ron Yudd (301) 540-5791
www.leadershipcares.org

Washington D.C. December 4, 2004. The LeadershipCares Foundation teamed with the four local D.C. area Literacy Councils to hold its first annual LiteracyCares Director’s Conference on November 8th, 2004. The one day forum was held at the Inn and Conference Center at the University of Maryland, in College Park MD. The conference was attended by the four literacy directors, their key staff and board members and students from the MentorCares™ program at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville MD, interested in adult literacy issues.

The conference focused on issues and goals shared by all four area councils. Ms. Aracely Nunez-Mattocks of Resource Management Group Inc., a master facilitator and organizational management expert, helped the group explore joint opportunities and how they could develop potential shared resources.

Top Ten Areas Discussed included:

• Creating more awareness about adult literacy and how people can get involved——Joint PSAs, Cable TV Show, Corporation visits and area speaker’s bureau.
• Joint recruiting opportunities within organizations and companies that have an interest in promoting literacy among their workforce or potential workforce.
• Regional fundraising, corporate sponsorship and special events opportunities.
• Recruiting successful literacy students to be spokespersons for the literacy cause.
• Use celebrities to champion the cause-jurisdictional or area-wide approach.
• Joint orientation opportunities for adult volunteer tutors.
• Use of experienced adult tutors as a Mentor Corp to help retain volunteers.
• Develop Board training materials to enhance the experience and productivity.
• Brainstorm of how young people can get directly involved in adult literacy.
• Work to create a name for the four Literacy Councils alliance/partnership.

Attendees enjoyed a buffet luncheon. The group committed to meet in early January 2005 to decide how they can proceed as an alliance. LeadershipCares committed to assist in helping everyone stay connected on the issues discussed and to explore venues to keep the group together.

Quotes from several attendees about the day’s events:

“The conference provided an excellent opportunity for the region’s adult literacy leaders to brainstorm, share and plan for a more effective approach to promoting adult literacy in the entire Washington area.” Ms. Lisa Wade Raasch-Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
“This has been an excellent way to bring youth together with adult literacy providers to make them aware of our issues.” Ms. Janna Lusk-Literacy Council of Prince Georges County
“Excellent! It was great to meet and make contact with the other literacy directors.” Ms. Pam Saussy-Literacy Council of Montgomery County
“I think today’s program was very interesting as well as informative. We made very useful suggestions and shared good ideas in making literacy programs more effective.” –Ms. Candace Ali-Student MentorCares™ Program Northwestern High School

The Literacy Councils represented at the 2004 LiteracyCares™ Director’s Conference:

Washington Literacy Council-Ms. Liz Liptak-Director-202-387-9029
Prince Georges Literacy Council Ms. Janna Lusk-Director-301-699-9770
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia-Ms. Patty Donnelly-Director-703-237-0866
Literacy Council of Montgomery County-Ms. Pam Saussy-Director-301-942-9292

For information on how you or your organization can get directly involved in helping the Literacy Councils teach others to read and write visit www.leadershipcares.org or call the Literacy Council in your area directly at the numbers listed above.