The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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November 5, 2009

Council is empowering people through literacy

By Joe Malan, Staff Writer

Last year, Enid Literacy Council did not qualify for a grant that normally funds 75 to 80 percent of its operations.

Joanna Samples is hoping for changes in 2010 when Enid Literacy Council submits its request to receive yearly funds from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

“Last year, the reason why we didn’t get the grant was because our goals were vague,” said Samples, interim program coordinator of Enid Literacy Council.

ODL, she said, was looking for literacy councils to establish clear, specific goals that would demonstrate how the money would be used.

So this year, Enid Literacy Council has changed its mission statement in order to have a better chance of receiving funding from ODL.

The old mission was “Improving lives through adult literacy.” ELC has changed it to “We empower people through literacy education.”

The reason ELC felt the need to change its mission statement is because ODL is interested in comprehensive goals in learning to read, said Samples’ husband Stephen R. Samples, a board of directors member.

“It’s a much more conscious effort on the tutor’s part to teach more,” he said. “We want to give more direction so the students can (deal with real world situations) themselves.”

ELC provides foreign students tutors, so they can learn how to read and excel at reading comprehension.

ELC has 17 tutors right now. Those 17 tutors are mentoring 50 students, and there are about a dozen on the waiting list.

The students are examined on their progress during different stages of the tutoring process.

When they first enter the program, they are given an evaluation that demonstrates what they already know and what they need to learn.

Twelve months later, they are given another evaluation to see what they’ve learned.

That’s what ODL is interested in, Joanna Samples said — what is the measure of exactly how much these students have learned?

“Our new mission statement allows us to step back and not do as much ourselves,” she said.

“Since losing the grant, we’ve become more aware of how important the measurable goals are.”

Funds from ODL, which can amount to $10,000, normally cover 75 to 80 percent of ELC’s expenses, which is mostly pay for the part-time director.

A key reason why ELC was able to function this year was because the city received economic stimulus money to retain some jobs in Enid.

Some of that money was used to hire Samples as the interim program coordinator when the previous program coordinator left.

The stimulus money gave ELC time to restructure its goals and mission statement, so that it could apply for ODL funds, Stephen Samples said.

Now, ELC is preparing paperwork to apply for ODL funds, and also is looking for more tutors to join the program.

Tutors should be a high school graduate or have a G.E.D., and must be able to devote two hours a week to ELC.

“If you enjoy reading and it interests you, you can be a tutor,” Joanna Samples said.

Anyone interested should call 233-6325.

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