[NLA] NLA Discussion: Adult Literacy Programs' Response to 9/11

Fri Sep 28 20:23:06 EDT 2001

Thanks to Ira and Paul for posting these important responses to the 
tragedies of 9/11.  SABES SE in Fall River, MA, professional development 
center serving 22 programs in SE Mass, is assembling materials, lesson 
plans, and list of web sites as resources for practitioners wanting to 
develop in class discussion, lesson plans and/or curriculum in response to 
the events, and the ongoing state-of-the nation.  We are planning a 
practitioner sharing for November, to be announced next week, to enable 
practitioners to share issues in individual classrooms, and ways they have 
responded to learners.  In addition, SABES SE is planning special workshops 
around media literacy, to provide practitioners with resources and ideas for 
analyzing media responses to the events and issues.

We welcome any other ideas from around the country in support of our 
practitioners and learners.  Sally Gabb, Coordinator, SABES SE, Bristol 
Community College, Fall River, MA

>From: Ira Yankwitt <iray at lacnyc.org>
>Reply-To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>Subject: Re: [NLA] NLA Discussion: Adult Literacy Programs' Response to  
>9/11
>Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 15:08:57 -0400
>
>The Literacy Assistance Center in New York City was closed for nearly two
>weeks as a result of our proximity to the World Trade Center.  The first
>event we are hosting since reopening is a forum for adult literacy
>practitioners on addressing the impact of the WTC attack and its aftermath.
>  The forum is scheduled for this Friday, and the discussion will be guided
>by very similar questions to those raised by Paul.  I will post a summary
>of the issues that practitioners raise sometime next week, but among the
>issues we anticipate discussing are:
>
>* coping with grief, trauma and fear
>* anti-Arab/Muslim/South Asian racism
>* Middle East and South Asian culture and history
>* militarism and US foreign policy
>* immigrant rights
>* civil liberties and racial profiling
>* access to social services
>
>We plan to hold follow-up sessions, develop an online list of resources,
>work with teachers to develop curriculum, and host a bulletin board
>discussion on our website.  We would welcome any thoughts and suggestions.
>
>At 02:25 PM 9/26/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >NLA Colleagues,
> >
> >In a recent posting to the NJALL (New Jersey Adult Learning and Literacy
>Association) electronic list, Paul Jurmo, President of NJALL, wrote the
>message which you will find below.  At the end of his message Paul poses
>three questions which, it seems to me, apply to programs and policy makers
>across the country, and which we might discuss on the NLA list.
> >
> >What are your thoughts as a teacher, program administrator, student,
>policy maker, or other person who is concerned about the responsibility
>which adult literacy programs and policy makers have to adult learners in
>this post 9/11 world?
> >
> >"Dear NJALL Members,
> >
> >In its meeting yesterday, the NJALL Board discussed how the recent
>terrorist attacks might affect the learners and communities we serve and
>our field as a whole. Here are some concerns and ideas that came up in our
>discussion:
> >
> >-- Some programs are reporting that immigrant learners are afraid to 
>leave
>their houses and attend classes.
> >
> >-- Some programs feel they should now put a new emphasis on intercultural
>communications in their curricula.
> >
> >-- One program reported that some of their volunteers asked not to be
>matched with learners of Middle Eastern background.
> >
> >-- It is likely that One Stop Career Centers and other employment-related
>agencies in New Jersey will be flooded with people who have lost their jobs
>due to the disaster.  It is feared that these already-under-equipped
>agencies will be unable to help these people.
> >
> >-- If some of the New York-based employers now need to relocate to New
>Jersey, those companies might benefit from workplace training programs to
>re-organize and prepare their workforces. However, there are currently
>limited resources provided to those kinds of programs and no real
>infrastructure for helping companies plan effective, customized services.
> >
> >-- Some fear that adult education -- which has already had to struggle to
>get recognition and funding from policy makers -- will be pushed even
>further down on the list of priorities as resources and attention are paid
>to other important issues like security and short-term job placements.
> >
> >These are a few concerns and ideas which were raised in a short 
>discussion
>among NJALL board members yesterday.  We would like to hear what the rest
>of our members are thinking about these issues.  We would like to convey
>these concerns and good ideas to policy makers in the coming months. We'd
>thus be grateful if you now take a few minutes to respond to these
>questions by October 5th:
> >
> >1.  What impact is the September 11th attack having on the learners and
>the community you serve?
> >
> >2.  What should adult education programs do to respond to this situation?
> >
> >3. What should state-level policy makers do to respond to the needs of 
>the
>learners and communities who have been affected by this disaster?
> >
> >Thanks for your input.
> >
> >Paul JurmoNJALL President, 2001-2002"
> >
> >David J. Rosen
> >NLA List Moderator
> ><djrosen at massed.net>
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
>
>
>Ira Yankwitt
>Director of Adult Literacy Services
>Literacy Assistance Center
>(212) 803-3356
>iray at lacnyc.org
>_______________________________________________
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