Words from the Center Director
SHAR East, by Cheryl A. Olden

Willie White's Success Story

Letters from Tutors

Letters from Learners

DLC program coordinator Ramona Dunbar poses with Deborah Stewart, WSU graduate student/Interdisciplinary Studies alumna,Tutor Certificate of Achievement recipient

Willie White, Detroit Reads alumnus

Ramona Dunbar with Karen Hoover, former Detroit Public School teacher and WSU alumna, Tutor Certificate of Achievement recipient

Ramona Dunbar with Eugene Williams, WSU/Interdisciplinary Studies alumnus, Tutor Certificate of Achievement recipient

Ms. Dunbar with Vivian Sanders, WSU student intern and Tutor Certificate of Excellence recipient

For more than eight years, the Detroit Literacy Coalition (DLC) formerly the Detroit Area Lifelong Learning Coalition (DALLC) has provided multiple services to our indigent families - GED classes, specialized math classes, and finally computer classes. "Ms Elizabeth", as we fondly call Elizabeth Williams, our mainstay tutor has volunteered her time, heart and skills opening many new doors of hope for our women. Through her work and the leadership of Dr. Ntiri, Director of the DLC and Professor at Wayne State University, the GED/ABE program at SHAR has been blessed with literacy tutors. The program has also been blessed to receive three computers initially that were increased to four complete computers as well as a large laser printer. IBM has been a gracious sponsor of these computers. The numbers of clients served has varied depending on the needs and commitment to learning of the clients enrolled. Over the past five years more than 1200 hundred women have had an opportunity to increase their Math, English and Computer Skills through the Detroit Literacy Coalition's GED/ABE program. The lights have been turned on in so many ways from dim to a glimmer to food lights blinking as they learn a new concept/skill.

At a meeting with Judge Lloyd @ 36th District Court some four months ago a guest to the meeting was a gentleman new to the area, volunteering his time to teach computer skills to indigent women in treatment. His only requirement was that the program, provide the computers and that he would meet the client where their needs may be. Mr. Gary Metts visited the facility and met with the entire staff first. Mr. Metts then broke the women into six groups of eight. Each group met with Mr. Metts for one hour twice weekly. He networked the computers donated by Detroit Literacy Coalition and added additional software to include interactive "Tom Thumbs" typing tutors. Lastly, he donated a MAC computer to widen the experiences of the women and to aid their exploration.

The classes are based upon a self-paced tutorial provided by Mr. Metts and available for the women to use at their leisure. The women have two hours of hands on training weekly and additionally have an opportunity to practice and work on the tutorial independently for up to two hours each day. The availability of the computers donated by Detroit Literacy Coalition put the program in an excellent position to take advantage of his expertise.

Clearly, the benefit to the women cannot be measured in a tangible sense. The impact of their participation in the class too cannot be measured as the incidence of rule violations and verbal altercations measurable dropped as the women were too busy to bicker. Comments made by the women include:

"I never thought I could do anything like this. My life is changed now because I know that if I put my mind to it that I can do anything."
A McClendon

"We beat ourselves up because others do, so we think that we cannot do anything."
D. Houston

"I've had experience on the computer but now I understand what I'm really doing!"
K. Elliott

"I thank the Detroit Literacy Coalition for believing in and supporting women in recovery!"
M. Sheridan

"Ms Elizabeth is so patient and really cares about us learning and spends her time that is so precious!"
D. Colvin

"Mr. Gary is a genius. I want to pick his brain. He has given us a gift that cannot be taken away."
S. James

"I am inspired to learn more. This program has assisted the women and the staff!"
B. Massenburg

The programming brought to SHAR East by Detroit Literacy Coalition and the work of Professor Ntiri and her team of tutors started as the planting of a few seeds. The extensive garden of opportunity has changed and continues to change the lives not only of the women who directly participated but will aid their families and most assuredly the Community. We salute your vision, hard work and skill in delivering quality programming.

Cheryl A. Olden
Program Manager

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Success Story

Willie White is a DETROIT READS alumnus. In the late 1990's Willie participated as an adult learner in one of the Detroit Literacy Coalition literacy classes conducted at OASIS Center, (a rehabilitation center for those recovering from addiction) in Highland Park. Frustrated and anxious because he felt life was not moving the way he wanted, he sought our help. He wanted to learn and he wanted to learn fast. He had a lot of catching up to do.

Well, Willie did learn and even faster than we thought he would. He exceeded our expectations. Willie passed his GED and went on to finish a Bachelors degree and even a Masters. Willie is a great wonder to himself and many of his friends. He now works at the OASIS rehabilitation center in a supervisory capacity. We as literacy stakeholders are very proud of Mr. White and all his accomplishments.

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Illiteracy: The Battle That Never Ends

Interview by Ron Baines, DLC literacy tutor and WSU/Interdisciplinary Studies alumnus

Ron Baines is one of TAP tutors and also a graduate of Wayne State University. He started this program as an undergraduate at the Self-Help Rehabilitation Center and has watched the development of TAP over the last year. He started with one-on one tutoring and now has graduated to group tutoring. He shared some of his perspective on the tutoring experience.

Detroit, the motor city and largest metropolitan city in the State of Michigan, is also one of the highest in illiteracy. Reading, writing and arithmetic are a few of the things that we as Americans have taken for granted. However, having all the resources at our finger tips has not always been an advantage to all of us. Some people for various reasons have let opportunities slide by. Basic skills help most of us survive in day-to-day life, and without these skills a person can become unemployed, drug dependent or incarcerated depending. The inner city of Detroit has a program called Technology Accelerated Program (TAP) which caters to the functionally illiterate person. The TAP program seeks support from local area corporations to train tutors and manage a network of centers. At these centers, illiteracy foments and thrive and it is there that TAP succeeds the most with this captive population that have fallen by the way side. Some may see the TAP into literacy program as Detroit's best kept secret, because the existence of the program has not reached the masses and the public's not fully aware of the assistance they can receive in the literacy field. Bridging the gap between social classes starts with literacy; if knowing is half the battle then, knowledge is the key to the door to success and the TAP program has cracked the door open for a couple of hundred learners this year alone. Working with these learners towards the goal of literacy is fulfilling but there are a few things that must be understood by the tutors and instructors to achieve this. Education cannot be taken for granted; you must understand different personal situations and always keep an open mind. Not everyone has had the same experiences in the schooling process. Stories abound about negative experiences.

From pre-kindergarten on through elementary, middle and high school, I find that so many learning handicaps are present in the lives of the learners such as such as A.D.D. and dyslexia and other physical and mental disorders. Most of the learning disabilities that are public knowledge today were not even thought of when most of the TAP program learners were in school, so some have been at a big disadvantage. It is not easy for all our learners to grasp the seeds of learning and not all are in the right type of environment to nurture these seeds so they can blossom into literacy. The TAP program has been strategically setup in locations where illiteracy is a major problem. They have set up literacy classrooms at several rehabilitation facilities and family centers around the city of Detroit. Inside these facilities you can find families- mothers and their children or recovering addicts whose choice of drug range from alcohol to heroin. The TAP program is there to help them reorient themselves into the education process - whether it is to brush up on there reading or math skills, or to get ready for there GED or college entrance exams. This program attracts persons of all educational skill levels, from a sixty-five year old man with a third grade reading ability to a twenty one year old woman preparing for her GED. The TAP program caters to each individual's needs and after they have been tested, the correct curriculum is put into place to help them along their educational journey. The learners in the program have the hardest job, and that is to admit that they need help and to reach out for additional assistance. Every person's situation is different, and no one can possibly know what another person's life is like without actually living in his/her shoes.

The TAP program has helped me to become more sensitive and compassionate towards others less fortunate. I have come to learn that everyone has not been given the same opportunities as I have and that not all family structures are as supportive and nurturing as the one I grew up in. Every person has a story to tell, some are not as joyful as others and the endings do not always come out happy. The learners in the TAP program have had to overcome some of the toughest obstacles ranging from family disruptions, drug addiction to incarceration. The TAP program helps learners from all backgrounds and walks of life; some have just strayed from educational path and need help finding their way back and others just let the streets become their scholastic institute and learned the lessons of hard knocks. Working as a tutor you have to encounter and address each individual and his/her demon from the educational past, whether it is reading, writing or arithmetic. Once learning is acknowledged, then the tutor has to work closely with the learner to make sure that the demon does not reappear and disrupt the learner's newfound zest for knowledge.

into place to assure that each learner has the tools that are needed for them to survive in the new world which is controlled by education and technology. Each learner has a fear factor; the fear is not failure, since they feel as though they have already failed, the fear is success, an unreachable goal in the world they have become accustomed to. To succeed at learning means they have actually accomplished a goal; they have gotten over an obstacle which has hindered them from tapping into their full potential and living their lives productively. Everyone cannot be taught the same way because of the myriad of circumstances surrounding the learners.

Learning is a lifelong experience that everyone has a part in, including those who have had difficulties in the past grasping certain fundamentals. It is the responsibility of the tutor to find different methods of learning to stimulate learners. The only way for a tutor to be successful is he/she must keep an open mind and be willing to use different techniques to jump start a learner's thirst for knowledge. Not all learners can be taught in the conventional ways; for some you have to go outside the lines and enter a new realm of teaching by putting problems in a category they are familiar with. Some of the learners have been in the system (Judicial) for so long, that is all they know and all they can comprehend. Institutionalized, is the word most commonly used to describe such a life. This does not necessarily mean being incarcerated, it means being used to a certain way of life, good sometimes but most often bad. A tutor in the TAP program has to use various resource available to tap into a learner's dormant scholastic skills. From time to time, the methods can be considered unconventional because the streets become the guidelines and the learners past experiences become the blue prints to literacy. A person's past usually becomes a person's future, since the past usually repeats itself. Thus, with the intervention of education, the learner's future is enhanced. By providing familiar situations for the learner, it increases their comfort level and they are then able to excel and grasp the lesson plan while learning the underlined message provided. Using street terms, phrases and situations is not encouraged, but a tutor often finds himself transforming these situations into terms, phrases and situations used in the academy to bridge the gap between the streets and scholastic achievement. The open mindedness helps both the learner and the tutor to become more acquainted with each other and they both understand where the other may be coming from educationally, personally. They both are open to change.

The TAP into literacy program has helped many find that hidden scholastic competency from within and will continue to do so as long as contributors such as Verizon Wireless, Comcast Cable and IBM, to name few, continue their support financially and morally. Literacy is one of the largest problems in the United States and has become an embarrassment to the city of Detroit. Programs such as TAP makes a significant contribution one learner at a time. TAP tutors are caring, open-minded, patient yet demanding individuals who demonstrate a love for learning and for sharing.

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May 2007
I am writing this letter regarding the literacy tutor which comes to the SHAR House where I am at. Karen has helped a lot and not only when it comes to helping me with my studies. She has also given me information concerning classes at Wayne State University. Hopefully, I'll be attending classes in the fall.
I feel that more people like Karen are needed.

Sincerely yours,
John W

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RECOVERY
By Willie Barnes
Recovery is a lifetime, on-going process. It's a commitment for the rest of my life, one day at a time. Recovery is a process of living a new and very different life style. To live a life in recovery I must stay clean and away from bad influences. I have made a commitment to myself to do something everyday with my spirit and faith. I pray to God and ask for strength and guidance.

I attend Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings daily. I must also remain totally honest with myself. Recovery has given me the opportunity to renew my spirit. I have lived two lives, a dark past life that carried me to my present life, one filled with hope and motivation. Families are very important in recovery because it's about change. Family is there to support me in my change and give me the extra support I need. If I ignore the needs and desires of my family then I have failed to accept my responsibilities.

Recovery has become a lifestyle that is everywhere I go and everything I do. It is more than just a lifestyle without drugs; it's a very bright alternative to the hell I lived in the past. Most of us go into recovery hoping to regain what we have lost and I've been fortunate to be given the tools needed to clear the wreckage of my past life. The NA program puts balance in my life, as I am able to share with other ex-addicts. The NA program offers us hope.

We learn new ways of living in recovery and no longer are limited to old ideas. Some of us didn't know how to tell the truth, but we now know the truth, recovery is a better life. Perhaps recovery will also teach us kindness and how to care for one another, a lesson that is needed by everyone. We are very grateful in recovery as long as we take it one step at a time. Relapse is a daily reality and possibility, but with the strength of my commitment to recovery and the power of God's care, I will carry on. I will honor my promise in a partnership with God and myself to continue to pray to God for strength and guidance in my recovery.

During my recovery, I have discovered several important steps such as commitment, family and spiritual guidance. I have learned discipline and to follow rules and directions in hopes of pursuing a better life. In the process of changing my lifestyle, I realize that I must leave my past life behind. Recovery has also provided an active change in my ideas and attitudes. Before recovery, most of my actions and decisions were guided by impulse, but now I make decisions based on reasonable thinking. I see my vision and it is one of commitment, hope and a better life. One day at a time, for the rest of my life.

Tutor: Mary Nunn

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