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Clarion University students with work Literacy Council

Dr. Sheila Sherrow, direct of Pennsylvania Literacy Corps, poses with students from Clarion University’s Education 414 class during the February PAACE conference in Hershey. Front from left are: Valerie Sloan, Sherrow, and Cholpon Kalpakova. Back from left are: George Strano, Stevie Grabb, Shawn Donald, and Susan Dawkins.

The world is a darker place when a person cannot read or write or their education limits their job opportunities.

A collaborative effort by Clarion University and the Clarion County Literacy Council is helping people, one at a time, to overcome these problems, while providing practical, real world experience for Clarion University students.

Volunteers from Education 414: Literacy Training, taught by Dr. Kathleen Murphy, assistant professor of education, are paired with Literacy Council clients through an arrangement with the Clarion University Center for Teaching Excellence. Murphy is in her second semester of working with the project instituted by Dr. Brian Maguire, associate professor of education.

“This is one of the more successful programs of its type in the state,” said Murphy. “Many of the clients have earned their GED.”

Murphy, a Clarion University graduate, knows the value of the Literacy Program from her work as a tutor while an undergraduate. Her volunteers can include faculty and staff, who can audit the class to participate. Student volunteers must be of at least sophomore standing and can come from all majors, not just education. Student volunteers become involved in the recruiting by speaking to Clarion University’s introduction to education classes about their experiences. Participants also have an opportunity to attend the PAACE Conference in Hershey.

“We train the volunteers in the teaching skills to apply in adult literacy,” said Lorna Tucker, director of the Clarion County Literacy Council. “Our clients need help with reading, writing, or English as a second language. Many of them are working on their GED.”

The agreement calls for 30 Clarion University students to participate, 15 each semester. They receive three college credits for a 50-hour commitment. The Literacy Council matches them with an adult learner, who they will work with over a 15-week period, providing tutoring either at the Clarion University’s Carlson Library or the Clarion Free Library and even some at the Clarion County jail. The Literacy Council provides books and supplies.

“This helps the college students in their teacher training through this service learning option,” said Tucker. “They get experience before they do their student teaching. On the other hand, it gives the non-traditional adult a way to get an education in a personalized situation, not in a normal classroom setting.”

“The Clarion students gain experience in working with adult learners in a one-on-one situation,” said Murphy. “They have to alter their instruction methods to meet the needs of their client. They get to make a difference in someone’s life by helping with things many of us find ordinary such as filling out a job application, balancing a checkbook, or using coupons.”

Clarion’s students have also helped outside of the classroom. Graduate student Joseph Petta, applied for and received a $400 grant for “Enhancement of Adult Literacy Outreach Services in Clarion County.”

Maguire started the program between Clarion University and the Literacy Council in 2001. The Literacy Council, funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, contracts for 82 clients per year at a minimum of 12 hours per client, and that quota has been met every year. Over the past two years, 12 of the Literacy Council’s clients have received their GED.

“Some of our clients stay several years in the program and others only spend a brief time with us,” said Marion Halgren, student coordinator. “Those who qualify must be 17 and one-half years old or older and not involved in any schooling. We offer free and confidential assistance because it is sometimes quite difficult to own up to a literacy deficiency and do something about it. We want the people leaving us prepared to go to community college, trade school, or some other type of advance education.”

The project continues to grow. Beginning this spring, the Clarion County Literacy Council is planning a pilot project of offering small group instruction in additional skills such as financial literacy, computer skills, and study skills.

Clarion University has initiated plans to establish a web site promoting the literacy program initiated through a $400 Clarion University Graduate Student Research Grant obtained by Joseph Petta of Emerson, N.J., a graduate student seeking his master’s of library science degree. Part of the grant was used to purchase new books and teaching materials for the literacy program with the rest used to obtain a web site domain name and host service for a year. The site still in design can be visited at www.clarionedcenter.org.

“The application process was time consuming, exacting, and forced organizational and thinking skills,” said Petta about the process. “It is so vital to be visible and a web site will increase the Clarion County Literacy Council’s visibility and can be developed into an educational tool for distance learning.”

Petta, who plans a career in the public library system, views the role of the library as extending into the literacy area.

“The mission of the library is to serve all and that extends beyond the library,” he said. “Librarians have a duty to raise the literacy level of service areas as a way of strengthening the library system. I was a teacher and a tutor for many years before entering library science. I approached Clarion County Literacy Council about being a tutor and wound up enrolled in Dr. Murphy’s class. I am glad it worked out that way. The class was very interesting and being able to work with the Literacy Council through it added something special to my graduate experience.”

Clarion University students participating in tutoring during the Spring 2008 semester are:

Scott Reffner, a senior elementary education major, a son of Karen Seaton of Sharpsville and a graduate of Sharpsville High School.

Andy Keaton, a senior elementary education major, a son of Doris Keaton of Mckees Rocks and a graduate of Montour High School.

Cholpon Kalpakova of Clarion, a graduate student seeking a master’s degree in education,

Megan Sheehan, a senior speech pathology major, a daughter of Deborah Sheehan of Pittsburgh and a graduate of Baldwin High School.

Katie Ansell of Jackson Center, a senior speech pathology major and a graduate of Lakeview

High School.

Suzanne Dzezinski, a senior elementary education major, a daughter of Sydney Dzezinski of Sarver and a graduate of Highlands High School.

Sarah McGuire, a junior elementary education major, who lives in Clarion with her husband, Tim, and is a graduate of Hopewell High School.

Stephen Buch, a junior elementary education major, a son of Deborah Buch of Bethel Park and a graduate of Bethel Park High School.

Kelly Gelzheiser, a junior elementary education major, a daughter of Robert and Audrey Gelzheiser of Pittsburgh and a graduate of Baldwin High School.

Susan Dawkins, a graduate student from Indiana.

Jessica McCall, a senior secondary education/English major, a daughter of Tish McCall of New Bethlehem and a graduate of Redbank Valley High School.

Emily Taccone, a junior early childhood/special education major, a daughter of David and Susan of Erie and a graduate of Harbor Creek High School.

Josh Tabor, a graduate student seeking a master’s degree in education, who lives in Clarion with his wife, Dorey.

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