I attended today’s Confab hosted by the Chicago Literacy Alliance at the Literacenter, the coworking space we share with other organizations with missions to support literacy. This winter, the Confabs explored the theme of Equity Issues associated with literacy with a final focus on Diversity or “providing students with opportunities to understand and empathize with experiences and viewpoints that differ from their own, whether based on race, culture, gender, faith, sexual orientation, and more, through literacy”.
We heard updates from the YMCA of Metro Chicago, TeachHeart.org, Facing History and Ourselves, and the Chicago Public Library. I also got to catch up with Kate Lapinski who runs adult programming at the library, including their Learning Circles initiative with P2PU. We’ve been working for the past couple of years to think through ways Designers for Learning’s network could support libraries in their adult education initiatives.
We also spent time during the Confab continuing our working group discussions focused on the question, “What practical actions can we (as a group of literacy-focused organizations) take together to create equitable and accessible pathways to literacy in Chicago?” These are the key target areas we are considering:
- Support Professionalization in the Field
- Data Collection and Sharing
- Coordination of Services to Minimize Overlap
- Collaborative Technology
- Collective Advocacy and Messaging
- Growing Community Voice and Representation
- Expand Citywide Cross-Sector Engagement & Stakeholders
- Share Resources & Promote Sustainability
A key point raised regarding “collective advocacy” & “cross-sector engagement” is the opportunity for incorporating literacy-related place-based initiatives as wraparound services (e.g., augmenting services at libraries, hospitals, etc.) As one participant noted, “People will continue to be left out if we don’t make literacy a focus in every sector.” As she continued, we have to get past this attitude of “you had your chance” when thinking about supports needed for adult learners. Amen!