Holiday Fund 2005: Helping adults learn English basics Holiday Fund 2005: Helping adults learn English basics (November 23, 2005)

By Rory Brown

Almanac Staff Writer

Thanks to two city employees and a handful of part-time tutors and volunteers, kids aren't the only ones benefiting from the Belle Haven Community Library in Menlo Park.

The library, six years old and a branch of Menlo Park's main library, launched in September its own adult literacy program called Project Read Belle Haven.

"When we started the classes, we filled them up and had a 75-person waiting list," said branch manager Judy Fagerholm.

Ms. Fagerholm and Roberta Roth, a literary outreach specialist, are the only city employees working on the program, which helps native-Spanish speakers learn English to make their everyday lives easier.

"I'd say 99 percent of the adults who join our program say its because they want to help their kids with their homework," said Ms. Fagerholm. "They want to talk to the teachers and doctors of their kids, write checks, do everyday things."

The literacy program is independent of Project Read Menlo Park, a citywide program targeted at people who already have a fifth- or sixth-grade understanding of English.

"The state started funding tutoring in libraries in 1984, but it's for English speakers -- people who already know basic English and want to work on their oral or writing skills," she said. "What we really need to do is set up literacy programs that teach English to non-native speakers."

Every week, the part-time tutors teach free classes for 15 to 20 registered people. The classes meet twice a week for three months, with three classes held each quarter. The location of the classes varies, but currently, two of the classes are held at the Menlo Park Senior Center and one is held on the Belle Haven Elementary School campus.

"These are people who have one or two jobs and children, and they're taking on classes and homework -- they're motivated," said Ms. Roth. "This can help people get to a level where they can apply for state-funded tutoring, get their GED or apply to college."

But without state funding, the program's future is uncertain. At the current budget, and with no major funding in the immediate horizon, the program can sustain itself until June 30 -- enough time for two more full 12-week sessions, said Ms. Roth.

"We've already seen people feeling so much better about themselves," said Ms. Fagerholm. "It's a huge boost for parents to be leaning English, especially when their kids are learning so much at school."
INFORMATION

Classes for Project Read Belle Haven are held in the Belle Haven Community Library at 413 Ivy Drive. For more information on Project Read, or the library's literacy program, contact Roberta Roth at 330-2525 or rlroth@menlopark.org.
HOLIDAY FUND 2005

Your donations to the Almanac's Holiday Fund will help the Belle Haven Community Library.

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