It is the mission of Augustine Literacy Project to help improve the reading, writing and spelling abilities of low-income children and teens who struggle with literacy skills. The project trains and supports volunteer tutors who provide free, long-term, 1-to-1 instruction using the Orton-Gillingham approach and Wilson Reading System® materials. Lake Toxaway Charities approved a grant request to support these efforts. The grant funding will contribute to compensation for the program director, literacy coaches, insurance, and background checks.
In 2021: Funding received through the Lake Toxaway Charities grant will support ALP’s upcoming tutor trainings. In September, ALP will host its fifty-hour preliminary tutor training for new Augustine tutors. Currently, ALP intends to train six new volunteers. To accommodate any COVID mandates at that time, ALP has limited the number of participants. If COVID mandates are no longer needed, ALP will open the training up to more participants. A twenty-hour advanced training will be held in October for ALP tutors who have completed a minimum of sixty lessons and wish to tutor students beyond grade three. ALP will also train any interested active tutors in providing Augustine instruction virtually through established iPad stations.
Augustine Literacy Project had been heavily funded by Transylvania County United Way and that ended when United Way closed in December of 2019. It’s truly an honor to help our students gain competency in reading, writing, and spelling.
On behalf of the children, tutors and board of directors, thank you for the grant awarded to the Augustine Literacy Project-Brevard. This award will be used to assist with program costs as we continue to meet the literacy needs of low income children who have become even more academically at-risk with the closing of schools. We are grateful for this financial support and for all you do for Transylvania County.
Kathryn Polmanteer, Chair
