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Vision Literacy - Core Services

Community Literacy

Volunteer tutors are trained and supported as they work with adults who seek to improve their basic reading, writing, and life skills. Tutor and learner pairs meet at local libraries or other mutually convenient public places; their sessions incorporate real-life materials from the learner's work, home, and personal life.

Family Literacy

Community learners who have one or more children under the age of five are eligible for Vision Literacy's family literacy program. Family literacy learners and their families visit the Milpitas library or a Community Center in Gilroy one evening a month to share dinner and enjoy a program designed to help parents instill a love of reading and learning in their children. Learning events, story-times, puppet shows, and book giveaways are elements of the family literacy sessions.

Corrections Literacy

Tutors serve a vital role in reducing recidivism as they assist male and female inmates with their literacy skills. Community and peer (fellow inmate) tutors work at the Elmwood Correctional Facility. Individual goals vary and sessions frequently focus on completing govemment-related forms, recovery materials, personal letter writing, and pre-GED preparation. The Corrections Literacy project also operates two libraries at Elmwood.

Health Literacy

The Community Learning Center (CLC), North County is an innovative partnership between Vision Literacy, PlaneTree Health Library, and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The center was established to provide people who have limited reading skills with access to free health information and adult literacy services, and to provide the general public with a resource on a wide array of health issues.
The CLC North County features a health library with video, audio and print materials, including items for adult, new readers. The materials are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Services also include individualized training on Internet health searches and one-on-one literacy counseling and tutoring. Small group classes, focusing on a variety of topics for new adult readers, are also available.

The Community Learning Center (CLC), South County recently opened its doors to the public. Located at Vision Literacy's south county office, the expanded partnership between Vision Literacy and PlaneTree Health Library is the first program of its kind in Gilroy. Featuring the same resources and services as its North County predecessor, CLC South County provides materials in both English and Spanish.

For more information please contact us at 408.262.1349 or visit our website at http://www.visionliteracy.org