Students and tutors meet two hours per week in a public location. Courtesy photo
Courtesy photoRAALP News:
ESPNAOLA ― This week, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded the Rio Arriba Adult Literacy Program (RAALP) a $9,000 grant to support free, student-centered, one-to-one tutoring to adult Basic Literacy and English-as-a-Second-Language students.
This local grant award is part of more than $8.3 million in grants awarded to more than 1,000 schools, nonprofits and organizations across the 44 states that Dollar General serves.
The Rio Arriba Adult Literacy Program began operation in 2012, founded by residents of the Española Valley dedicated to improving reading skills for adults, in an effort to break the cycles of low-literacy, poverty, and under-employment/unemployment in our communities. RAALP envisions a community where all adults have the literacy skills that enable them to achieve their personal and professional goals. Trained, community volunteers work with adults who are reading at or below the sixth grade level and with new English speakers.
Volunteers are always needed; the next tutor training session is in the fall.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports literacy and education initiatives. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $154 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 10 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.
“We are honored to fund literacy and education initiatives, which support our mission of Serving Others,” Dollar General’s CEO Todd Vasos said.
About Rio Arriba Adult Literacy Program (RAALP)
RAALP has 40 active tutor-student pairs in Española and the surrounding area. For more information on becoming a volunteer tutor, or if you know someone who needs reading or English-language tutoring, stop by the RAALP office inside the Española Public Library at the Lucero Center, or call 505.747.6162. Website: www.raalp.org Supported by the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy and United Way of Northern New Mexico.
About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit www.dgliteracy.org.
Courtesy photo