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The Daily OrangeCentral New York community foundation determines how to use government aid to improve literacy rates among children, adults
By Candace Tracy
Posted: 2/10/08, 11:43 PM EST Section: News
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"It's not just about reading. Kids are playing video games and negotiating the web -literacy is all of those things," said Carter, associate professor and associate dean in the College of Human Ecology. "We shouldn't be focused on just what's in print."
Onondaga County is one of the state's eight "literacy zones," which are impoverished areas that the state, like Carter, wants to revitalize via community efforts to improve general literacy skills. New York State has budgeted $5 million for this cause, offered by the Regents Board, with Onondaga County as one of the recipients.
Guided by the Central New York Community Foundation, more than 160 Onondaga county officials and community members met last week to discuss the specifics of the literacy coalition - tentatively set to be made public in April
Local non-profit and private organizations have been promoting literacy in the city of Syracuse for years, but this new program hopes to tackle the issue on a broader, countywide scale.
"The goal of the initiative is 100 percent literacy through 100 percent community engagement," said Sara Wason, executive director of Development for Syracuse University Foundation Relations and coalition member.
The aim will be to help kids in the school system, maybe even before school and those who are still illiterate as adults, she said.
Carter asserted that adult literacy is no longer just about reading and writing.
"Employee literacy is a broad discussion," he said. "Should we teach them to just be literate in their jobs or literate and armed with tools at a more general level?"
Representatives from institutions of higher learning, local businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, adult and family literacy advocates and the K-12 school system were present at the literacy coalition, said Kathy Hinchman, professor and department chair of Reading and Language Arts and coalition member.
"The task force is identifying action steps and priorities for literacy," she said.
The coalition will work on developing a set of "measuring tools" to determine what steps to make along the way, as well as when the goal has been achieved.
Along with Carter, Wason, Hinchman and many SU faculty and students are members of the coalition, involved in the planning process and the ultimate implementation of the initiative.
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Dick Bulova A&S-62
posted 2/11/08 @ 11:05 AM EST
So. How many jobs are there where a young adult can earn a living playing video games? Children also need to know that, as part of life, learning sometimes takes concentration and discipline. (Continued…)
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