Recognizing the value of literacy to social and economic well-being, communities across Maine have formed literacy teams to promote birth to adult literacy education efforts. Many of these teams formed in response to the Maine DOE’s Literacy for ME initiative. This initiative, launched in 2012, informs the Maine DOE’s ongoing literacy work and supports community literacy team formation and planning activities. Community literacy teams are composed of a wide array of citizens representing early childhood providers, pre-k-adult educators, librarians, civic organizations, higher education, the business community and many other interested parents and citizens. Community literacy teams evaluate the literacy assets and needs that exist in their communities and then develop and implement plans to address those needs in creative ways.
The Maine DOE is providing a webinar series designed to support community literacy teams. This five-part monthly series began in January and will continue through May. Each webinar addresses specific challenges faced in community literacy team work and four of the five will feature representatives from a variety of community literacy teams who will share helpful ideas related to the session topic. Community members can access the first two webinars, Overcoming Barriers to Community Literacy Planning and Building Involvement and Identifying Community Literacy Assets, online.
The next webinar, Securing Resources for Community Literacy Planning Efforts, will air on March 27 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. This webinar will include representatives from the Bridgton Literacy Task Force and the Machias Literacy Team. Login information for this and the other remaining webinars can be found here on the community literacy team link on the Literacy for ME webpage.
Additionally, a listing of community literacy teams and the archive of the recorded webinars for last year’s community literacy webinar series can be found at the same link. The Literacy for ME webpage includes other resources that support literacy education efforts and community literacy planning.