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International Literacy
Day:
A Message from VALUE President Calvin Miles
(Posted August, 2001)
International Literacy Day will soon be upon us on September 8th. I would like to reflect on some of the achievements of adult literacy students.
Not only have students returned to school and gotten their GEDs, but they have also got jobs in the literacy field. They are becoming teachers, tutors, and staff members. They have come to be directors of national organizations such as VALUE and board members of national literacy programs. They have organized national conferences and conducted workshops on issues affecting their lives, such as schools, health, and community involvement.
These students have become "learner leaders" and are not traditional students who simply come to learn and then leave the program. Today’s learner leaders are involved with forming student organizations, legislative lobbying, fundraising, orienting new students, training new staff members, and increasing awareness of literacy in the larger world.
It is a joy to celebrate the work of those students all over the country and the world.
Calvin Miles
New York City
Revised 8/10/01