Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester

Providing English language proficiency for Economic Security

Scrabble Scrambler & Auction

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Join us for a fun night of word games to support LVGW! No preparation or materials necessary, just an open mind! We’ll teach you how to play. Register on Zoom by May 4th.

This event is free to attend and open to all. Donations are greatly appreciated and will help us provide free English and basic literacy instruction to 600 adults in Worcester this year. Help us reach our spring fundraising goal of $8,000! Make a one-time or monthly contribution to LVGW. Monthly donations have the greatest impact and help us sustain our work. 

The online auction is open until May 6 at 8:30 pm. Place your bids now.

A big thank you to our event sponsors:

Linguist Sponsor
Storyteller Sponsor

Open Mic 2/24: Languages of Love

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We are excited to partner with the City of Worcester for the third installment of the Community from Home live, public open-mic series on Wednesday, February 24th from 7:00-8:00pm. Poets, authors, and musicians of all ages are invited to share original works of all subjects and/or interpret the evening’s theme, “Languages of Love.” Friendship, family, first loves, and more – recount experiences and memories of caring, compassion, and loving yourself and others!


We would love to hear LVGW student voices at this event! For students of all levels, this is a great opportunity to practice public speaking, and we would be happy to help you practice before the event. Please feel free to express yourself in more than one language.


To present your original piece at the event, please complete the Sign-Up Form by Monday, February 22nd.

Selected participants will be provided with a web conference link to present their original piece during the live virtual event which will be livestreamed from the City of Worcester’s official Facebook page.


If you have any questions or concerns, please email info@lvgw.org.

International Literacy Day – September 8, 2020

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Donate today!

Literacy means different things for different people. For Azita, an immigrant from Iran, literacy means a path to independence.

 

“I want to stand on my own feet. I want to get an education and help people when they have financial problems.”

 

Azita has lived in the US for 15 years and has been studying with LVGW for five years. Before she came to LVGW, Azita was taking classes at a community college and said, “I didn’t talk that much. I would just leave class and come back. After that, I didn’t talk with anyone, just came home and talked to my family in Farsi. I found out I couldn’t follow my teacher’s lecture. In the next sentence, I was trying to figure out what she said in the previous sentence. I struggled a lot.”

 

Now, Azita says that she surprises herself with how much English she knows. “Sometimes when I talk, I think, ‘how did this word come out of my mouth?’ My brain just learned it!” Through the support of tutors, teachers, and staff at LVGW, coupled with more serious independent study, Azita has begun to learn more quickly. She loves to read, and her favorite book right now is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

 

With continued support from the LVGW community, Azita is following the path to independence through literacy.

 

Today, on International Literacy Day, we invite you to celebrate with us and help to increase literacy for hundreds of people like Azita.

 

Give today. Make a contribution of $30, $60, or $120 and receive a thank you gift.

 

To make a contribution offline, please mail your check to
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester
3 Salem Square, Suite 332
Worcester, MA 01608

 

Check out our Facebook page for more stories from students like Azita.

 

Thank you for your support.

 

Sincerely,
The LVGW Team

In Solidarity

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Dear friends,

We are deeply saddened by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others before them. We stand with the Black community in mourning. We see you, we hear you, and we are with you. Black lives matter.
We are committed to anti-racist education as a crucial part of our mission. The following is a list of resources that tutors and students can use in their lessons, as many learners have understandably raised questions about recent events.

We are determined to strengthen our leadership and volunteer recruitment practices to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to ensure that our leadership is more representative of those we serve. Over the coming months, we will engage more with students, tutors, teachers, and other stakeholders to better understand your respective experiences as well as seek ideas and input that will ultimately make us stronger as a community.

Conversations about race can be uncomfortable, and we do not pretend to have all the answers, but we are here to listen, talk, and learn together.

In solidarity,
The LVGW Team

Loreta and Crystal

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Loreta and Crystal have been working together since January 2020 after Crystal completed our 18-hour ESOL tutor training program. Here is what they have to say about their time together:

“I am Loreta. I am from Albania. I have 5 years living here in Worcester. I miss the language but with the help that Crystal teacher is giving me, I am feeling something different. I understand sentences, I know how to read short passages, write a little, describe and more! Crystal is a great teacher. She finds my weakest part and works with me until she is convinced that I have learned it. The teacher gives me the opportunity to give my ideas. Thank you for this great job you are doing with me.” –Loreta

“Loreta and I have been in constant communication with one another during this pandemic. We have been video chatting through WhatsApp as well as texting. I’ve also been creating powerpoint slides as lessons for her. That way she can continue practicing how to read and write on her own and then we discuss and have conversation through video chat to review what she’s learned so far. It’s been an amazing experience. Not only are we tutors helping our students grow and flourish in this country, but we are also giving them a voice. The students need the language in order to survive, communicate, and defend themselves in this country. The only way to do this is to break down these barriers.” –Crystal

Spring into Literacy

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“For the first time since I arrived [in the US], I felt part of this community, sharing with people like me,…and that really motivated me to keep growing.” This is how Maya, an English language learner, described her first experience with LVGW’s classes.

Throughout the past few months, we have remained committed to our students, and we have transitioned to distance learning for both classes and tutoring.

We need your help to sustain these vital services.

Hear from volunteers and students, including Maya, about what LVGW means to them:

Read more.

We’re Going Virtual!

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Over these past few weeks, we have been inspired by the creativity and compassion of our community banding together while remaining physically apart. Our tutors, teachers, and staff have been working hard to ensure a smooth transition to distance learning for all of our 600+ adult learners.
To ensure the health and well-being of everyone, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our in-person Scrabble Tournament, which had been scheduled for May 2. But don’t worry! With our virtual fundraiser, you will still be able to support our mission of helping people thrive, and you may even play some word games while you’re at it.

Read the update about our virtual fundraiser here.

 

Scrabble Tournament on May 2, 2020

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Join us for our annual scrabble game night. Form a team of three to six players and we’ll teach you the LVGW way to play scrabble! Admission includes dinner and participation in team-based mini-games. Cash bar, silent auction items, prizes, and gift baskets available. 

Register today!

 

Interested in volunteering at the event? Email info@lvgw.org
This event is a fundraiser for Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester. Proceeds support English language and literacy education. 
 

Olivia and Joan

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Olivia and Joan speaking at the Meet & Greet at Redemption Rock Brewing Co.

Who we are:

Olivia: I’ve lived in Worcester for about one year. I am from China and I came here for school many years ago. I am thirty years old and I signed up for tutoring to improve my English speaking skills. I have been with my tutor, Joan, for about six months.

Joan: I am a retired lawyer and I became a Literacy Volunteer a few years ago. I wanted to work with people trying to find their place in a new country and community. Because that is a huge challenge, I thought students would be very motivated, positive and interesting individuals. And I was right!

What we have learned from tutoring:

Olivia: As I learned more cultural things and as my English has improved I have more confidence. I’m not afraid to talk with anyone now. I went to yoga class last week and introduced myself to a few people before class. When I went skiing I talked with people next to me in line and on the lift. I think understanding the culture is very important.

Things we have enjoyed doing together:

  • Reading aloud and discussing books written for children or young people. These books have easier vocabulary, plot lines, are shorter than adult books and are fun.
  • Reading and discussing newspaper articles about China and about American politics. This is difficult but rewarding.
  • Finding and discussing unfamiliar vocabulary and idioms as we read and talk together.
  • Talking about the similarities and the differences between China and America.
  • Sharing some details about our respective cultures.
  • Meeting in different places for weekly lessons. This gives us new topics of conversation and the chance for Olivia to practice conversation with other people. We have been to different coffee shops and the Courthouse where Joan used to work. We even spent one lesson talking about the American judicial system.
  • Olivia was invited to speak at a Library Foundation event. She practiced her talk several times with Joan as the “audience”. We attended the event and Olivia did exceptionally well!

Favorite moments:

Both: When we have a conversation and are able to share our experiences in our families, our upbringing, and our different cultures with each other.

Olivia: Knowing I have the support of my tutor makes me happier.

Joan: Getting to know Olivia is a pleasure and having the opportunity to help her grow in her conversation skills and confidence is very rewarding.

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