Program celebrates 20 years of helping eradicate illiteracy

For Mark Coveau, it was phone numbers. For May Cai it was translations and for Jose Gariaeoecheo it was the monthly bills.

Each of them had their own personal hurdles stemming from the same overall problem, none of them could read.

"All through school they knew I couldn't read or write but they kept moving me up. Then in 11th grade I started skipping school," Coveau said.

For years he struggled to understand his bills, find phone numbers or just get by, then he found help.

Cai grew up in China and learned basic English as an adult, for years she worried about taking her citizenship test because of the terminology, until she found help.

Despite owning his own business, Gariaeoecheo had trouble reading business letters, dealing with schedules and paying bills.

They all found help in the form of the Carson City Literacy Volunteers, which celebrates its 20th year helping adults read in Carson City this year.

The non-profit program has no paid staff and relies entirely on private donations to provide free tutoring to adults learning to read and write.

Marilyn Brandvold, program coordinator, has been with the program since its inception in 1986. She said she started it because she wanted to do something worthwhile with her retirement and she loved to read.

"It was the love of reading, I wanted to give that to someone else," Brandvold said.

Tutor trainer Sharon McCloskey came face to face with illiteracy and it inspired her to become involved.

"Even though I knew the problem existed, it didn't register until I actually saw it," McCloskey said. "This man had intelligence in his eyes and it would have been trapped inside him without the ability to read and write. That would have been a loss for him, but also for the world."

Currently the program provides one-on-one sessions between 50 tutors and students.

"It would be nice if (the program) didn't have to exist. In the ideal world, we would be out of a job," Brandvold said.

The organization is currently preparing for fall tutor training, scheduled to take place Sept. 13-14, 16 and 23. The 18-hour training provides tutors the methods and materials necessary to teach an adult student, including lesson plans and helpful tips.

"After the 18 hours, you are a confident tutor who can teach. The tutors that come out of training know what to do," Brandvold said.

The rewards, said Brandvold, are definitely worth the time it takes to train.

"You can get them to overcome their shyness and realize that they aren't alone. We hope to help them overcome their failures and be successful," Brandvold said.

Need proof? Just look at Coveau, Gariaeoecheo and Cai.

Mark has raised his reading and comprehension level and is working toward becoming a certified auto mechanic. Jose can now better communicate with customers and correspond through the mail, as well as better control his bookkeeping.

Since beginning the program, May has graduated with a master's degree, obtained a professional engineering degree and recently passed that long-feared citizenship test, with a perfect score.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.

Schedule

Schedule for fall training for Carson City Literacy Volunteer tutors:

6-9 p.m. Sept. 13

6-9 p.m. Sept. 14

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 16

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 23.

Tutors receive a total of 18 hours of training, after which they meet twice a week with their student at the Nevada State Library and Archives Building.

For more information on the program, contact Marilyn Brandvold at 885-1010.