The $36,000 grant will address the growing need in Frederick County for programs that foster self-sufficiency through literacy and life skills. Frederick, MD [June 11, 2026] — The Literacy Council of Frederick County (Literacy Council) is proud to announce it has been awarded a $36,000 grant through the 2026 Women’s Giving Circle of Frederick County grant cycle. The funding will support the Literacy Council’s 2026–2027...
The Literacy Council of Frederick County is proud to celebrate three of our students, who have each been awarded the Second Chance Scholarship through the Community Foundation of Frederick County. This scholarship, supported by The Mary Alice and R. David Stup Scholarship Fund, was established to uplift individuals who have faced past challenges or experiences of harm and are seeking a...
When Rosilene started taking classes here at the Frederick Literacy Council, she was looking to improve her English language skills. What she didn’t expect was that she’d also develop a community and gain so much insight into American culture. She and her family had moved to the states from Jacarei, a city in Sao Paulo,...
This summer book club at the Literacy Council met for three sessions and engaged in the impactful story of Jason Reynold’s Long Way Down. It was a graphic novel powerfully illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff. It is a story of an urban youth who is tragically affected by the death of his brother through gun violence. ...
Ralph DeRose is a partner in Oscar’s Alehouse, a group of restaurants in Maryland that has built its success by creating family-friendly spaces where customers enjoy “top-notch food and service,” he says. Another ingredient in the restaurants’ success, Ralph notes, is a policy of giving something back to patrons’ communities whenever possible. In the restaurant...
On February 27th, I gathered with about 40 other members of the Frederick community to hear learners with the Literacy Council read aloud their stories, which had just been published in the 7th edition of the Reflections magazine. The stories we heard came from around the world. One told of a hard-working mother in Honduras...
Hello! My name is Tetiana. I moved to the USA from Ukraine two and a half years ago. Naturally, like most people, I faced difficulties related to not knowing English. In Ukraine, I worked as a speech therapist, and speech has always been my strong point. Therefore, when I came to America, I felt like...
Since JinJin, one of our writers in our Reflections magazine, started working with the Literacy Council, her journey has been “a series of beautiful moments” inspired by her children. This is how she describes it: From being shy and unsure of how to express myself to becoming fluent and confident, I take pride in the...
How very strange—and wonderful— it is to realize that, after working at something for most of your adult life, you still have the capacity to learn. I am someone who avoids too much introspection, but that changed when, after a long career as an editor and writer, I retired from the Smithsonian Institution. Anyone...
The Literacy Council is again honored to be one of 37 nonprofit organizations participating in the Unity Campaign for Frederick County, hosted by United Way of Frederick County. The Unity Campaign supports the over one in three households in Frederick County that struggle to afford basic human necessities! The campaign is focused on funding programs directly supporting the health,...
