Events
Special events give The Literacy Council opportunities to share
our services with the community, inform the public about the issue
of literacy and how they can help, recognize our volunteers and clients
for their accomplishments, and raise funds to support our programs.
There are five main events throughout the year:
Signature Series
Our three 2008 Signature Series Events feature America’s most
fascinating authors at private cocktail receptions
in Birmingham’s finest homes.
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 Our First 2008 Event was with
Cokie Roberts on May 13. Guests received a signed first edition of the author’s work "Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation". |
Past Signature Series authors include: Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Rick Bragg TV personality Delta Burke International bestseller Mark Childress Oscar Award winner Charlton Heston New York Times bestseller Richard North Patterson Former New York Times Editor Howell Raines |
The Literacy Summit
(See Literacy Summit photos)
The Literacy Council held the 2007 Literacy Summit in Birmingham on Monday, August 20, featuring Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office, as the keynote speaker. The Summit, which drew 325 attendees accomplished several goals:
- Honored as "Distinguished Partners", Literacy providers who have gone above and beyond
- Reviewed the progress made so far on The Literacy Initiative, which is a 9-month project to evaluate the needs and gaps in current literacy services.
- Neal Wade expertly exhibited how illiteracy affects the existing workforce and therefore his ability to recruit new industries to the state of Alabama. Making strides to fight illiteracy is important to him and should be important to every business in the state. Alabama must improve the education levels of its workforce in order to continue to bring in companies like Mercedes, Honda, and Thyssenkrupp.
- Beverly Sansom, president of the Literacy Providers Network, posthumously honored Steve Orel from WOO (World of Opportunity) with the Doug Dutton Tutor of the Year Award.
- Lisa Davis, a learner who was tutored at M-Power Ministries told her moving success story. Lisa spoke about her battle with cancer as well as incarceration while all the while trying to hide the fact that she couldn’t read from her daughters. After discovering the truth, they were the ones who pushed her to find a tutor.
- Jera Stribling, co-chair of The Literacy Initiative, talked about the research and focus groups that have taken place so that the Task Forces have material to work with when they start meeting in the fall
The Friends of Literacy
Friends of Literacy is a young patrons group of The Literacy Council. The group works to recruit volunteers and build the next generation of leaders for our organization. For more information on Friends of Literacy events contact The Literacy Council at 205-326-1925.
AdventuREAD
This day is annually hosted in the fall by The Literacy Council and The Literacy Providers Network. The goal is to encourage parents/caregivers and children to spend a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes each day reading together, bring awareness that reading is fun and to be loved – not feared, and to offer families who need help with literacy an immediate opportunity to enroll in a local family literacy program.
Adventuread was held at Wenonah Elementary School during the month of December. Students were challenged to read one book with their parent and then discuss questions given.
United We Read
United We Read is a reading awareness project sponsored by The Literacy Council. The project places adult volunteers in elementary schools to promote literacy and the joy of reading. Volunteers read from a pre-selected book to second and third grade students for approximately thirty minutes. United We Read is held during Black History Month and encourages an appreciation of African-American culture. Each child who participates in United We Read will receive a free copy of the book that is featured in the program. Each school will also receive a copy of the book for their library. Last year we had over 200 volunteers who read to over 3,000 children in Central Alabama. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Debra Des Vignes at (205) 326-1925 or ddesvignes@literacy-council.org
Downtown Historic Loft Tour
This event was held on June 7, 2008 with an attendance of 750 people!
*For additional information about any of these events please contact The Literacy Council at (205) 326-1925, info@literacy-council.org or continue to check our website for more details.
