Sponsored Institutions - Stories

February 21, 2017, Adrian, Michigan – The third General Chapter Enactment of the Adrian Dominican Congregation reads: “We pledge our lives, money and other resources to facilitate and participate in creating resilient communities with people who are relegated to the margins, valuing their faith, wisdom, and integrity.”

With acceptance and openness, the Adrian Rea Literacy Center welcomes adult learners who are on the margins of society, whether due to low income, poor education, or lack of schooling in their country of origin. Through one-to-one tutoring, adults are able to achieve their goals of becoming better parents who assist their children in their schooling and who become better workers who contribute to building resilient communities.

To meet the needs of learners who come to the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and know no English, the Center is providing beginning-level English conversation classes. Learners who work at local dairies, the apple-packing plant in our area, and agricultural farms have benefited from learning basic conversation skills. They have become more confident in speaking to employers, conversing with their children’s teachers, and communicating with clerks in stores and businesses.

The tutor for our beginning conversation class understands what it is like for these learners. Miguel had no formal schooling in his home country of Mexico because he had to work in the fields at an early age. As a young man, he came to the United States with his family and settled in Adrian. Miguel learned English on his own, visiting the library as often as he could and attending group adult education classes. He is now bilingual and became a certified tutor at our literacy center last spring.

During the new tutor workshop, Miguel expressed a desire to help his community by teaching others English. In the fall, he conducted a six-week English conversation class for 12 non-English speakers and will begin a new eight-week class in February.

We at Adrian Rea Literacy Center are proud to partner with Miguel as he builds our resilient community with his faith, wisdom, and integrity.