Literacy center has no shortage of students

Bruce, a 56-year-old Ozaukee County resident, can read the subtitles on the TV screen when he watches movies.

“I have to pause it, but where I couldn’t read it before, I can read most of it now,” he said Monday.

“Before” was less than six months ago when he started meeting with a tutor three times a week at the Adult Literacy Center in Grafton to learn how to read. 

He also can read text messages on his phone. 

“I might struggle a bit, but I think the phone has helped me quite a bit,” he said. “I can tell I’m getting better.”

At any one time, as many as 75 people like Bruce, all of whom live or work in Ozaukee County, are working with one of 60 volunteer tutors to learn how to read and write or learn English as a second language,  ALC Executive Director Joe Nettesheim said.

“We’ve had an increase in students the last couple months,” Nettesheim said. “We got a little nervous wondering if we had enough teachers.”

But the center put out the word on social media and other means looking for tutors. On Monday, a class of six prospective tutors attended a training class at Grace Lutheran Church in Grafton, where the center is located.

The center started in 1988 as a ministry of Grace Lutheran Church but today is an independent non-profit organization supported by donations and grants.

Ursula Spence, 63, a retired teacher living in Port Washington, said she saw a notice in the Ozaukee Press and decided to attend the training.

“I had taught basic literacy skills before and wanted to do more of that,” she said. “I’m looking forward to trying to help an adult do what they need to do to reach their goals.”

Not all tutors have experience teaching, however.

Dave Hodgson, 58, an engineer who lives in Saukville, said he volunteered “to give back to the community. Literacy is the most important thing for a person.”

Another one-day tutor training class is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21. So far, eight people have signed up for that class, Katie Eippert, the center’s director of programming, said.

“The response has been very good. I have been very impressed that we haven’t had trouble getting tutors,” Nettesheim said.

Tutors and students meet one on one when it’s convenient for both. Sessions can be held at the center or other locations.

Those sessions can last months, even years, Nettesheim said, with tutors and students developing long-lasting relationships.

Eippert meets with every student and assesses their needs, as well as the skill sets of teachers before matching them.

Most of the students are from other countries, Nettesheim said, with about 70% of those being Russian speakers.

A map on the wall at the center is dotted with dozens of pins, each one indicating the homeland of one of the center’s students.

“You can see that a number of countries are represented,” Nettesheim said. “They all have very fascinating stories.”

Besides helping them learn to read and write English, the center helps immigrant students attain citizenship and meet other goals.

For instance, one center student was a doctor in Russia and, not allowed to practice in the United States, currently works as an in-home caregiver.

“We’re trying to help her figure out how she can practice here,” Nettesheim said. “She’d like to do hematology research on blood disorders. For her to learn English will have a huge financial impact on her and her ability to be independent. 

“She let go of a lot to move here and start over. It’s humbling to see how much work people are willing to do to get a better life for themselves.”

Since March, Bruce, who asked that his last name not be used for this story, has been meeting with Mary Ellen Biehl, a Cedarburg resident and semi-retired reading specialist and school psychologist.

Bruce said he grew up with an undiagnosed reading disability and dropped out of the West Bend schools after the 10th grade to work full-time on his father’s dairy farm. 

“The teachers were great people but they pushed me from grade to grade,” he said, saying he was grouped with students who had learning disabilities or behavioral problems.

“Sometimes it was like survival of the fittest,” he said.

Biehl said Bruce was unfortunate in that he grew before laws were implemented regarding special education. 

“Today, Bruce would definitely be diagnosed with a reading disability and would have gotten the appropriate education,” she said. “You can’t really blame anybody; it’s just one of those tragedies. Bruce deserves a lot of credit for overcoming that.”

In his mid-20s, with the help of a relative, Bruce got a job as an electrician.

“It was hands-on stuff and I didn’t have a problem,” he said. “I have a good memory. There were these big blueprints that had big icons that said what they wanted to do. I just memorized them and went step by step. And I got some help from girlfriends. I ran job sites for many years.”

He tried attending at least one literacy center in Washington County but was working long hours at the time and didn’t have the energy to complete the classes, he said.

Now that he is semi-retired, he thought he would try again after a friend recommended the Grafton center.

“He came here for math and gave me the phone number,” Bruce said.

Biehl said Bruce has made tremendous progress.

“Bruce has been very diligent and courageous,” she said. “Without that commitment he would not have been able to make progress.”

Bruce said he hopes to improve enough to earn his high school general education development, or GED, degree.

“If I get my GED, maybe I can get a part-time job to keep me busy. If I can get my reading abilities high enough, maybe I could try to help somebody too,” he said.

Literacy Center Spelling Bee planned

The third annual Adult Literacy Center of Ozaukee County spelling bee, titled Spellers of Oz, will be held Friday, Sept. 6, at The River Club in Mequon. 

Teams of three individuals work together to spell words hoping to outspell the competition. 

The Wizard of Oz-themed event includes dinner, drinks, silent auction and the bee.

For more information, go to www.adultliteracyoz.org or call (262) 546-0020.