This post was sent from Meredith H. who is a coordinator for National Literacy Action Week (NLAW) at the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE), a First Book Campus Parter.

What is SCALE?

SCALE stands for Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education. SCALE is based out of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and it supports campus-based literacy programs locally, statewide, and nationally through Literacy Action Networks. SCALE encourages campus-based literacy groups to raise awareness in their area and to incorporate literacy action into their work.

NLAW at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH)

The student body at UNC-CH and neighboring campus and community groups are dedicated to literacy action. Orange County-Community Collaborative (OCCC) is a group of at least five such campus and community groups working in the region for a common goal.

During National Literacy Awareness Week (NLAW), OCCC will be hosting a training focusing on adult English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) learners. This training will be open to all campus and community ESOL groups.

Building Opportunities through Language Development (BOLD), a member of OCCC, will also be hosting three literacy activities during NLAW:

• The Words to Say It: BOLD learners will be interviewed about their country of origin, previous employment in that country, current employment, and what they believe learning English will do for their life in the United States or home country. Particular questions and answers will be highlighted on posters which will be hung around campus one week prior NLAW. These posters will also notify students of NLAW events and provide resources for where more information can be attained. During NLAW week, BOLD will have a table in UNC-CH’s “pit” area where they will pass out brochures with more concise testimonies as well as additional resources.
• Charla con Carrboro Primaria: UNC students will speak with ESL students at Carrboro Elementary school about the importance of learning English while maintaining their mother cultures. Speakers will stress the importance of dual-literacy, and what opportunities that will provide the students in the future. Students will also participate in a game involving English vocabulary and snacks will be provided.
• At a Loss for Words? A literacy-related movie will be shown. Following the movie a speaker guest speaker will come to the event to provide the audience with facts about literacy, discuss some of the challenges new immigrants face in the U.S., and speak about any current legislation that affects non-English speakers in America.

SCALE encourages all to take part in as many NLAW activities as possible!