Centre Daily Times Logo

Helping Hands | Literacy training helps in work, life | Centre Daily Times

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • eEdition
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • About Us
    • Local
    • Penn State
    • Sandusky Scandal
    • Communities
    • Crime
    • Business
    • Education
    • Politics
    • Public Records
    • State
    • Nation/World
    • Weird News
    • Sports
    • College
    • Golf
    • High School
    • MLB
    • Motorsports
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Outdoors
    • Penn State
    • State College Spikes
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • PSU Sports
    • PSU Football
    • PSU Basketball
    • PSU Baseball
    • PSU Hockey
    • PSU Soccer
    • PSU Volleyball
    • PSU Wrestling
    • Nittany Lines Blog
  • Penn State Football
    • Living
    • Announcements
    • Family Pages
    • Eat, Play, Live
    • Home & Garden
    • Entertainment
    • Weekender
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Celebrities
    • Horoscopes
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Music
    • TV
    • Opinion
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Good Life

Helping Hands | Literacy training helps in work, life

By Amy Wilson and Lisa McMonagle

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 17, 2014 11:31 PM

Imagine not being able to read to your children or understand directions on the medicine label when they are sick with bronchitis. The census reports that about 11 percent of adults in Centre County and 14 percent in Clearfield County are functionally illiterate. Illiteracy prevents people from entering the workforce and is inter-generational. Low literacy is linked to poor health outcomes, including higher rates of hospitalization and difficulty accessing health care. Mid-State Literacy Council is committed to helping its students improve their lives and their families’ lives by promoting health literacy and employment literacy. Your investment in literacy positively affects our community.

Health literacy is a major focus at Mid-State Literacy Council. The Department of Health and Human Services defines health literacy as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Individuals with limited health literacy may have trouble reading and understanding food labels, completing health assessment forms, communicating symptoms to a clinician, measuring medications, navigating the health care system or following self-care instructions. MSLC tutors cover topics such as making a 911 call, filling out medical information forms, talking to the doctor, and prenatal care. Tutors who work with students one on one or in small groups individualize their instruction to address their students’ unique needs.

Workplaces require increasingly higher skills. John Tyler, associate professor of education at Brown University, concluded from his research that young adults with higher math skills do better at entry-level jobs and earn more. MSLC students are learning reading, math, English and writing skills to qualify for employment training programs, pass the commercial driver’s license exam and maintain employment. Students work with more than 200 trained volunteer tutors to acquire literacy skills: reading for employment, writing memos and emails, solving math problems for work and English for communicating with co-workers. As a result, students are obtaining employment, advancing in the workplace, entering training programs and better providing for their families.

As part of its commitment to literacy, for three years MSLC has partnered with local Lutheran parishes, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and local businesses for its annual book drive to benefit elementary students in the Bald Eagle Area School District and Philipsburg. MSLC donated more than 5,000 books for children to read over the summer to support their reading skills.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Centre Daily Times

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Adults who want help are encouraged to call MSLC at 238-1809. MSLC offers a range of classes and one-on-one tutoring mornings, afternoons and evenings. Instruction is provided in Centre and Clearfield counties. Trained volunteers work with structured texts and curricula customized to individual students to support achievement.

New volunteers are welcome to sign up for volunteer training. For those interested in helping but unable to volunteer, donations and gifts can be made online at mid-stateliteracycouncil.org. We can be reached at mslc@mid-stateliteracycouncil.org and found at 248 E.Calder Way, Suite 307, State College.

  Comments  

Videos

Juana’s brings authentic Venezuelan cuisine to State College

Ever wonder why we make New Year’s resolutions?

View More Video

Trending Stories

Penn State wrestler Jason Nolf still full of surprises in dominant win over Michigan State

February 15, 2019 10:59 PM

Downtown State College has lost some iconic restaurants. What do the replacements offer?

February 15, 2019 11:32 AM

Thon 2019 kicks off with surprise performance by Andy Grammer

February 15, 2019 10:20 PM

Is Penn State wrestler Brady Berge still the 149-pound starter? Here’s what Cael Sanderson said

February 15, 2019 10:23 PM

State of the program: Nittany Lions address Galiano, early enrollees as spring camp nears

February 16, 2019 07:00 PM

things to do

Read Next

Downtown State College has lost some iconic restaurants. What do the replacements offer?
Video media Created with Sketch.

State College

Downtown State College has lost some iconic restaurants. What do the replacements offer?

By Holly Riddle

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 11:32 AM

State College residents have likely noticed some significant changes to the downtown dining scene over the last few months and the landscape is only slated to change even more.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Centre Daily Times

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE GOOD LIFE

Recycling in Centre County: How to prepare the perfect curbside bin

Living Columns & Blogs

Recycling in Centre County: How to prepare the perfect curbside bin

February 15, 2019 08:58 AM

Home & Garden

Hot Property: A mega-mogul’s desert showplace

February 15, 2019 03:00 AM

Good Life

Game review: How to take and share photos with Pok–mon Go Snapshot

February 14, 2019 03:00 AM

Good Life

Thin Mints are going digital: Chicago Girl Scouts offer online cookie sales

February 14, 2019 03:00 AM

Good Life

Hey, students: Design a drone/robot combo for a virtual moon landing, and you could win a trip to NASA

February 14, 2019 03:00 AM

Good Life

How to be a journalist: Lessons from students behind #SinceParkland

February 14, 2019 03:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Centre Daily Times App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story