Matthew can speak more than ten languages. They reveal the adventurous journey he has taken through several countries. Born in Benin, a country in West Africa, he learned French and five local languages. He picked up three more languages in the neighboring country of Togo. When he moved to South Africa, he learned Afrikaans and...
Matthew, 52, was a long way from Frederick when he first began a journey that would ultimately bring him through our doors at the Literacy Council. Matthew was born in Benin, a country in West Africa. Jobs aren’t easy to come by in Benin, but Matthew was good at making work for himself. At a...
Although she may stammer sometimes with her English, the dedication that Jhanet has put into achieving her goals for herself and her family speaks loud and clear volumes. Jhanet, a native of Peru, came to the United States six years ago. After learning about the Frederick County Literacy Council’s Parent Literacy Program, she enrolled in...
A native of Venezuela, Magda came to the United States seven years ago. “In my home country I was an insurance broker for 43 years,” she says. It wasn’t long before the retiree was eager to begin fully engaging in her new American life. After hearing about the Literacy Council from a friend who was...
We invite you to meet Patrik, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”. Patrik came to the Unites States from Cameroon in January 2023. His mother-in-law introduced him to the Literacy Council of Frederick County in March 2023. He was matched with his tutor Cyndi M. and the two developed a special bond. Patrik...
This summer, the book club at the Literacy Council met for three sessions and tackled the heartbreaking story of Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo. It was a fictional account of a husband and wife who as refugees from Syria experienced the horrifying circumstances of war, and yet maintained hope though their personal resilience, persistence,...
We invite you to meet Tetiana, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”. Featured adult learners represent the Literacy Council’s programs, including authors from Reflections: Voices of English Learners, the Literacy Council’s literary magazine, as well as adult learners in other programs. Tetiana contributed her story to the sixth edition. My name is...
We invite you to meet Emmanuel, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”. Featured adult learners represent the Literacy Council’s programs, including authors from Reflections: Voices of English Learners, the Literacy Council’s literary magazine, as well as adult learners in other programs. Emmanuel contributed his story to the sixth edition. My name is...
On March 23, Hilda Guadalupe “Lupita”, realized a lifetime dream when she gained her American citizenship. She and her tutor, Gary Bennett, begin studying for the citizenship exam in February. The Literacy Council was instrumental in providing excellent study materials for the citizenship exam, including flash cards for the civics test and reading and writing...
The Literacy Council of Frederick County’s Workplace Literacy Program formally began in 2016 and has been a game-changer, helping people employed in area hospitality-service businesses improve their English-language proficiency. Its success has been recognized with awards and grants from business and government leaders. And in January, the Council brought to fruition another goal for this...
