We have come far in the literacy movement and those that first started the movement are to be commended. To continue to move in the right direction, the time has come to look to adult learners to become more of an active partner in ending illiteracy. Countless numbers of adults have had their entire lives changed in positive ways with the help of adult literacy programs. Many of these adults have very strong feelings of wanting to give back in any way possible. Adults that thought they could never learn how to read and write are doing, just that. One of the big pieces to putting the literacy puzzle together is telling about and dealing with all the feelings that go along with poor literacy skills. Many adults that come to a literacy program have felt stupid their entire lives. For the learning process to be as effective as possible, adults need to talk about it and realize that they are not stupid. The fact that we are now able to learn proves that to be a myth.

There are numerous ways adult learners can get involved, all of which facilitate talking about the feelings of having poor literacy skills. For myself and many adults, we have been successful in working on our literacy skills at a fast rate partly due to the fact that we talk openly about the feelings that you kept inside for so many years. Talking about those feeling makes you realize (maybe for the first time in your life) that you are no different than anyone else. I hope this doesn't sound like I'm saying' we need to have professional counselors in literacy programs, I'm not. I'm just saying learning works best when we feel good about ourselves.

As I said there are vast numbers of ways for new readers to get involved. Here are some suggestions. ( I hey are not laid out in any particular order.) Please keep in mind, adult reamers don't have to be able to stand up and address an audience to be effective as literacy advocates or to start dealing with the emotional side of literacy.

#I Students can do phone calling to remind other students and tutors about upcoming events.
This a great thee-saver to a coordinator and you will get a lot more people there if they get a reminder call.

#2 Students can help decide what is going to happen at student/tutor meetings.
A lot of literacy programs have separate meetings for students and tutors which is not bad. But if we are trying to send the massages that students and tutors are not different, why not have meetings together. Students shouldn't be uneasy talking in front of tutors. If you don't make a big deal out of it, students won't.

#3 Students can call other students that may be getting discouraged and are thinking about quitting the program.
Student can be quite helpful in giving confidence to another student and in encouraging them to keep trying.

#4 Students can write articles for the newsletter.
Students love to see what they have written published. There is a great sense of pride and accomplishment when something you have written can be viewed by others.

#5 Students can give tours of the literacy program and/or the library.
The more a new student coming into a program can see that they are not the only one with reading and writing problems, the faster they will get involved with the literacy program and the better they will feel about themselves

#6 Students can help in planning events such as a holiday potluck, student tutor meetings, fund raising events, etc.
By having students help in planning, you not only give them the chance to give back to the program, you also are providing a learning opportunity to learn how to plan an event.

#7 Students can assist in the computer lab.
Students in many cases feel more comfortable working on a computer than tutors. This is a perfect opportunity for the student to be the tutor to other student and tutors.

#8 Students can give input on materials used in the literacy collection.
Students know what is of interest to them. Of course you can't put everything on the shelves, but you can get an general idea of what students want to learn from.

#9 Students can help with new student intakes.
The first steps into a literacy program are the hardest! Having another student do the first initial paperwork can help ease some of that fear.

#10 Students can speak at tutor training.
Speaking at a tutor training can serve two functions. First the new tutors feel more comfortable after hearing a student talk, they get to put a face with all the statistics on literacy they have heard. Secondly, it is a good way for students to prepare for going out and
speaking to community groups.

#11 Students can speak to community groups and organization.
One of the most powerful speakers about literacy is someone who has benefited from a literacy program.

#12 Students can tutor other students.
As students become more advanced with their literacy skills they can take the tutor training and ultimately be matched with a more basic student. One of the best ways to learn is by teaching.

#13 Students can talk to kids in school and share their experiences (Act as mentors to kids that may be having trouble with reading, writing and self-esteem).
Adult learners know what it feels like to sit in a classroom and feel alienated and different from everyone else just because they have trouble with reading and writing. Adult learners could help kids that feel like they are stupid, realize that they can learn When I was in school I was one of those kids that felt different from everyone else. This had nothing to do with the teachers I had. they all tried their best to teach me. I was in special-ed from 3rd grade through graduating from high school. Over recent years there has been a lot of talk about how special-ed doesn't work and how it's just a way for students to be in class long enough to get passed onto the next grade One of the key reasons special-ed is not as effective as it sets out to be is students see themselves as stupid and see the teacher as someone with a great deal of knowledge. Kids that are having problems learning feel that those who are smart just come by it naturally. The point I am making is that a child who is having trouble in school could relate to an adult learner that has had much of the same problems and feeling. Adult learners could give hope to a child. One of the principal factors to learning is feeling that you can learn. Adult learners could help by sharing their experiences with kids that feel they can't learn.
Everyone can learn, you just need to believe that you can learn.

Adult literacy programs are great. They have changed the lives of countless adults. We all would like to see the illiteracy problem go away but as long as kids are graduating and are unable to read their diploma, the problem will never end. Kids need to believe in themselves and believe they can succeed in reading and writing Teacher have a wide variety of tools they use to teach kids with, adult learners could be one more resource for teachers to utilize.

The role of the adult learner can change in other areas as well. Adult learners have to start to play a more active role in voting and in the political arena. The Key to Community Project has made great inroads in that direction. I have seen first hand how empowered adult learners become after attending a workshop on voting. For many of the adult learners that attend the workshop it's the first time in their life they feel that they can be a part of the voting process and feel that they can make a difference. Students can make a difference we just need the proper tools to make change happen. Voting is yet another tool many of us have not utilized due to simple fact that we didn't understand the whole process Informing adult learners about the importance of getting involved should be happening on a regular basis.