ABE Students Take Prepared Voter Challenge 
By: Kelly Fox, Director of Adult Basic Education

ABE student, Jerome, analyzes voting resources
to help him prepare to participate in democracy. 

The 2016 General Election is growing near and candidates are in the home stretch of the campaign season. The political climate has been tense, to say the least, and although the electorate may seem highly polarized, there are plenty of citizens who feel entirely left out of the political process. Polling data indicate that educational attainment may play a role for voters, possibly influencing whether or not they will vote.

Your support has changed 403 lives so far this year!
By: Ginger Duiven, Executive Director


I came into work this morning needing a second cup of coffee. I had so many thoughts whirring through my mind as I pondered writing you today. Here’s some of them…Sherman Park, elections, education, Jessica, systems, racism, privilege, my dad, unearned disadvantage, Jerome, history, opportunity, change, hope, Richard, recognition, kindness, power…

Adult Basic Education student, Leroy, studies
diligently to improve his reading skills with the
patient guidance of volunteer tutor, Mary Kachoyeanos.

When I made my way back to the coffee pot I noticed how all the classrooms were nearly filled with students and tutors at work and I thought YOU did this! You provided the resources for our small but mighty organization to fill these rooms with people who want to learn, want to succeed, and want to give back themselves. You fill the rooms with volunteers (like you!?) who want to help and have the knowledge, time, know-how, kindness, and patience to do just that. In our fall edition of our newsletter you will see just what I am talking about. Julie Clark interviewed one of our students, Alejandra, about her experience, her motivations, her hard work, and her drive to give back. This is just ONE of the 403 stories so far this year. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

GED Graduation
By: Sara Risley, GED Tutor

One of the greatest perks of being a tutor in LSW/GED is when a student passes his/her last test. There are often screams, usually hugs, and most always, tears of joy on the faces of both tutor and student. These emotions are even more intense at the citywide GED Commencement at MATC, which I experienced on June 1st.

As a retired professional portrait photographer, I am always excited to photograph the cap and gown portraits of our LSW grads which have now been added to the wall of honor in our GED area of Literacy Services. The students take this portrait most seriously, arranging hair around the cap, straightening ties, and untangling tassels. It moves me to tears seeing the smiles on those faces. I don’t even have to work to get a good expression because the sheer elation and relief shine through on this happy day. Often their children are present and their faces beam with pride at the happiness of their parents.

After pictures, LSW Executive Director Ginger Duiven took the opportunity to congratulate the graduates on their success. GED Program Director David Peters also expressed the pride that everyone in the agency including staff, tutors, and other students feel for the Class of 2016 and their accomplishments.

Special Event at Boswell Book Company

Once again, Boswell Book Company is hosting a book reading to benefit Literacy Services!

On Tuesday, August 23, 7:00 pm, author Michael Bowen will read excerpts of his latest novel, DAMAGE CONTROL. Royalties from purchases of the new novel will go to support a spectrum of programs at Literacy Services of Wisconsin. 

Once in a Generation Chance
By: Ginger Duiven, Executive Director

I am guessing that you’ve heard something about the building boom that is happening in Milwaukee. Currently, there are $7.2 billion dollars in construction projects planned or underway. Already employers are desperate for qualified workers and in our city there are thousands of adults on the employment sidelines. We have an imperative and the once-in-a-generation chance to fix this classic mismatch of supply and demand. There are opportunities being offered and there are opportunities needed, and we have plan for a new High School Equivalency Diploma program that will help connect people to these possibilities.

Thanks to an amazing $100,000 grant from a new philanthropy collaborative called Impact100 Greater Milwaukee, our work to create a timely, new competency-based high school equivalent diploma program can move forward. If you’re not familiar, competency-based learning is an approach where:

We're Busy Changing the World
By: Ginger Duiven, Executive Director

Wow, it’s been a while since we could make the time to put together a newsletter. I know it is important to stay in touch with all of you. Since I last wrote, we have done so much! This “mini” Syllabus is a quick read to catch you up on some of the big news here at LSW. We plan to put together the next full size Syllabus newsletter in early summer.

Some of you may remember when I wrote you last year about the $100,000 endowment fund challenge grant from the Rita Stevens family. They challenged us to raise $100,000 to earn another $100,000 in matching funds to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. Well guess what? WE DID IT! As the deadline approached in late December, we received the last $15,000 we needed to succeed! Thank you to all of the 53 donors who contributed to the first addition to our endowment fund in a dozen years or more. LSW is in a stronger position as we start our next 50 years.

So what else have we been up to?

Persistence 

By: Julie Clark, Director of English Language Learning

I am often amazed by the students who come to Literacy Services. I’m struck by a variety of qualities: dedication, humility, humor, curiosity. Mostly, I’m struck by how hard they work. The successful students make gains, increase their literacy levels, and achieve all kinds of accomplishments. When things get challenging, those students work harder. When things get difficult, they work harder. They try harder. A quality they possess is persistence. Persistence enables them to keep trying, even when they are not successful. When they fail, persistence makes them try again. The student that I chose to write about for this issue of the newsletter has shown more persistence than anyone I have ever met in my life. I’d like to share her story, but I need to give a little background information first.

Some of the students who come to our English Language Learning program ask for help in preparing for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test. The TOEFL is a challenging exam for international students who want to enter a university in the United States. Students are tested in reading and comprehension, in writing, in speaking and in listening. They have to prove through the TOEFL test that they have the English skills necessary to manage university level classes. It’s a tough exam.

Myunghee shares her personal experience
at our 2015 3rd Quarter Awards Celebration

The student I’m writing about, Myunghee Jun, knows success, but she also knows failure. She has tried for years to pass the TOEFL test. Her first attempts occurred long before she found Literacy Services. Myunghee Jun is not only a registered nurse in her home country of South Korea, she has a doctorate in nursing and has taught at the university level there for several years. When she came to the United States, she took the TOEFL test and failed. She studied some more and tried again. She failed it again. She kept trying, and she kept testing, and she kept failing. She took the TOEFL test nine times.

At the end of last September, Myunghee walked into our classroom and told us she passed the TOEFL test on her tenth attempt. Then she told me how grateful she was to Literacy Services. She told me, person by person, how each of her tutors had helped her, how each one very specifically worked in different ways with her to approach that test. She told me what we did for her.

I’m going to tell you what she does for us. Myunghee inspires us: her tenacity, her persistence, her hope. She gives hope to all of us. She keeps us going. I am very honored that I have been able to witness her success. Moreover, I’m grateful that I can be inspired by someone who has such incredible strength and persistence.

Beyond GED

By: David Peters, GED Director

Nik & Chris focus on mathematics.

When Literacy Services of Wisconsin student Nikita Jones first enrolled in the GED program, he already had his high school diploma. So why, then, did he begin studying with us? Did he want to get another secondary school credential just for fun? 

As “fun” as that might be, Nik, not surprisingly, has a different goal – to become an electrician. However, in order for him to gain entrance to the training that would ready him for a skilled trades apprenticeship, he needed to increase his ability in math. Enter LSW’s GED program. As math is one of the four GED subjects, and as we are fortunate to have many skilled math tutors, we are well positioned to apply our programmatic expertise to other community needs beyond GED acquisition. It only makes sense for us to do so. Using the skills and knowledge embedded in our GED program in additional workforce applications means the program has relevance for even more people in the community.

In order to give Nik the math boost necessary to pursue his goal, he would need a skilled guide. Enter tutor Chris Colby. Chris has been tutoring with LSW for eight years. Prior to this, he spent 30 years as a trainer, primarily with GE, designing and conducting training sessions for the use of medical equipment. A veteran of putting courses together for thousands of people, Chris says of his LSW experience, “For me this is so luxurious because I have one student at a time.” While the content of the tutoring he does at LSW certainly is at variance from that of his professional work, the fundamental approach is not so different. Doing a needs analysis of the student and emphasizing student engagement as fully and as immediately as possible are skills Chris brings which mesh seamlessly with the approach I encourage in the GED program. Through leveraging Chris’s heightened sensitivity to the learning dynamic, gained through his many years of professional experience, LSW has been able to steadfastly support Nik as he pursues his goal. 

Nikita’s work at LSW has allowed him a new way
to engage with his children. Now, before dinner
they often do homework together.

Chris says of Nik’s effort, “He comes in with his family, he’s coming from his job, he’s got his overalls on… He’s a working guy and he’s really trying hard. It’s hard not to love that.”

Nik’s math skills have improved dramatically in the course of his work at LSW. He will soon test to gain entrance to apprenticeship readiness training, which is the next step toward his goal. With the increase in his skills has come an increase in his confidence. While obviously beneficial to him in his pursuit of becoming an electrician, his preparation at LSW has led to other important residual effects. He has felt more comfortable and confident helping his children with th
eir homework. Observes Nik, “Before, they would go straight to their mom and now they’ll come and ask me. It makes me feel good that I’m able to help them and that they feel confident enough to come up and ask me.” Additionally, Nik has noticed his increased confidence when making calculations at his job. 

Of his experience at LSW, Nik says, “It’s like a family. You get a warm feeling when you get here. You know everybody and everybody knows you. Like ‘Cheers,’” he laughs, “everybody knows your name.” Of his tutor, Chris, Nik says, “He pushes you. He sees if you’re struggling. He’s patient. He encourages me… I’ve learned a lot from him.” Speaking more broadly Nik adds, “I still have a lot of work to do, but I’ve come a long way.” 

Celebrating our Stories
By: Kelly Fox, Director of Adult Basic Education


Last year all of us at Literacy Services have spent a lot of time reflecting on half a century of providing educational programs for undereducated adults in our community. The milestone of our 50th Anniversary  inspired many to wonder where our former students are now and how their lives have been impacted by the time they spent with us. The idea to create a book of those stories was hatched by cultural anthropologist Joanne Passaro, who recruited journalist Linda Spice to coordinate a substantial effort to find and interview former students. With their energy and commitment, additional volunteers, including current and past board members and staff, joined in to help make this idea come to life. I got involved to help with the interviews, fact checking, and editing, and Dustin Slane took on the role of book designer. These efforts resulted in the publication of “Unlocking Potential: Literacy Services of Wisconsin Celebrates 50 Years,” an inspirational compilation of stories about perseverance, empowerment, and achievement.

To give you a taste of the stories contained in this amazing book, I am sharing the story of Dennis. Dennis is a former ABE student whose commitment to strengthening his foundational literacy skills helped him retain and advance his career while others around him lost their jobs. We are honored that Dennis partly attributes his success to the knowledge he attained through his studies at Literacy Services; we applaud his hard work and determination to achieve, and we congratulate him on his recent retirement! His story, like so many others, reminds us all how important this work is to the people we serve, to their families, and to our community. We are excited to offer “Unlocking Potential: Literacy Services of Wisconsin Celebrates 50 Years” for sale through Amazon.com. I invite you to look it over and order your copy today! We also have copies available for purchase here at our offices. Ask to see a copy the next time you are here! Please enjoy the following excerpt from “Unlocking Potential”:

Pictured with his polo shirt featuring
the original logo for Literacy Services,
former student, Dennis, shares how
our reading program helped advance
his skills and further his career. 

Dennis came to Literacy Services in 1995. His co-worker was in a program at LSW, and Dennis thought it would be a good idea for him to improve his skills as his job requirements changed. “A lot of jobs want you to take classes to learn new skills,” he observed, “and I figured that I needed to work on my reading and spelling so I could qualify for those classes.”

Dennis was persistent and motivated; he studied reading and spelling at LSW two or three times a week for almost nine years. His work at Literacy Services gave him the foundation he needed to take a number of job-related classes over the years. Dennis learned a variety of new skills, and became a certified welder. He kept updating his skills and learning new ones, which helped him advance in his career and also seemed to insulate him from layoffs.

“I had figured it might help with layoffs,” Dennis recalled. “Those new skills kept you from getting laid off. Many times, I would keep working when other guys who were there longer than me were getting laid off.”

Dennis fondly remembers working with many wonderful tutors over the course of his time at Literacy Services. He enjoyed the learning environment and appreciated being challenged to improve: “I had some great tutors! A couple of them got on me, well, not exactly, but pushed me hard in some areas where I needed it. I enjoyed that. I don’t remember all of the tutors’ names, but they were good people. It was fun, and I enjoyed working with them.”

Dennis is now retired. He and his wife moved from Wisconsin to Arkansas in July of 2014. He looks back on a rewarding welding career and considers his studies at Literacy Services to be an important part of his success. Dennis enjoyed the learning process and continued to learn throughout the course of his working life.

“I couldn’t have taken all those courses without the work I was doing on reading. I qualified for them and it made a big difference,” recounted Dennis. Those courses not only resulted in his advanced certification as a welder, but in other skills that enhanced his value as an employee. “Not being laid off. That was because of all the studying I did. And I enjoyed it a lot.”

Look for our award-winning book on Amazon.com
“Unlocking Potential” won the Bronze Award in the recent Adobe Software & TechSoup design contest for non-profit organizations. Thank you to all of our friends on Facebook who helped us stand out among the other non-profits competing around the nation!

Common Thread
By: Ginger Duiven, Executive Director

I woke up on Monday morning and I was dragging. The attacks in Paris and Beirut were on my mind. My heart felt heavy. My motivation and optimism were low. Over the next hour I slowly pushed myself forward. I coaxed myself to get on with my day when all I really wanted to do was stay covered up in bed, safe from the world. As I reflected on my own personal struggle that morning I thought about the nature of motivation, how elusive it can suddenly become. I also thought about how I seemingly tricked myself to get going anyway, and how, in doing so, I was able to leave some of the heaviness behind.

As I arrived at the office and started to greet the staff, early bird tutors, and students, I wondered what their mornings had been like. Was this a day when they, too, tricked themselves to get going? As I watched people settle in and get to work, I could truly see and feel our connectedness. I didn’t see our differences that morning, despite the fact that I was surrounded by an amazingly diverse group of people. There was a woman from China next to a retiree I knew to be struggling with a health problem. There was a refugee from Sudan and a man from Iran and an immigrant from Mexico. There were my coworkers, some with personal troubles I knew they were carrying with them. They were smiling and working to get tutors and students what they needed to get to work. There were men and women, black and white. There were young adults and elderly people. There were retired teachers and bankers and housewives and professors. There were artists and math geeks and gamers and cooks and on and on. Yet, I genuinely felt connected to each and
every one there. 

Often I see how disconnected from each other we have become. But on this morning I could see and feel how each person was connected to me and to each other by our common struggles as humans. To persist and carry on, to push back our fears, to take our focus off of our heavy hearts and get out of bed anyway; to find our optimism that things can get better and that we can do something about it ourselves was the common thread that felt so real and true. It made me feel stronger and more optimistic to notice this thread; I was not alone. I could see that morning that all the people around us are not as different from us as they sometimes might appear. And not only that, they did not seem scary, they seemed just like me. 

Where am I going with this you might want to know? Well my optimism has not only returned but my heart is full. I can see how this place, Literacy Services of Wisconsin, is so much more than the sum of its tutoring sessions and GEDs, student progress and citizenships received. It is a place that transcends differences to build genuine connections and understanding between seemingly “different” people. Our common bonds emerge, new solutions are found, we are vulnerable together and through it we find strength. It might just be an antidote to fear, terror, despair, and hate.

Far fetched?
I don’t think so.

All Aboard! Meet the Newest Members of Literacy Services' Board of Directors

Over the last year our board of directors have added four new members, who together, bring a diverse set of skills and knowledge and a passion for our mission. We are excited to introduce these dedicated volunteer leaders to you. The new members are Rodney A. Chapman of GE Healthcare, Ann Kramer-Haag of Zilber Ltd., Joshua Palleon of BMO Private Bank, and Susan Walker of JPMorgan Chase. We invite you to get to know them; read on!

Rodney A. Chapman, Ed.D, MAOM, DLL, LSSBB
Rodney earned his Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University, a Masters Degree in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix, and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Education from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Beginning his career in the United States Navy, where he advanced to Lieutenant Commander and became Commanding Officer of the Navy & Marine Corps Reserve Center in South Bend, Indiana, Rodney is now the Director of Training (Global Services) for GE Healthcare.


Ann Kramer-Haag
Ann graduated with honors from Alverno College with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Communications. She serves as Director of Human Resources at Zilber Ltd. She brings over 30 years of human resources, general business and administrative services experience. Through her work with the Zilber Family Foundation, Ann has developed an extensive base of knowledge of the Milwaukee community's needs.




Joshua Palleon, CFA
Josh earned an MBA from Marquette University and a BBA from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. As Regional Director - Investments at BMO Private Bank, Josh oversees the development and delivery of investment management and advisory services to high net worth individuals, families and organizations, including endowments and foundations. He joined the organization in 2004 and has over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry.


Susan Walker
Susan graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a BBA majoring in finance. Susan has been in banking for 25 years, working with predominantly closely held businesses. In that time, she has held roles ranging from business development to risk analysis to upper management. Today, she serves as a Commercial Banker at JPMorgan Chase. Often, her roles have involved leading the development/implementation changes in philosophy and/or market positioning. Susan brings her extensive experience serving on local non-profit Boards.

At Their Best: Richard & Charleen
By: David Peters, Director of GED

One of the reasons I enjoy my work at Literacy Services is that it provides me with a daily opportunity to see people at their best. Adult students bring a commitment, intensity, and earnestness to their effort born out of necessity and a desire to grow.

The tutors are volunteers. Yet, despite all the other things they could be doing with their time, they return week after week and year after year to continue addressing the need manifest in the lives of the students.  

The combination of dreams, determination, and sometimes desperation brought by the student mixed with the guidance, encouragement, and the gift of a tutor’s time often yields something special. This is true in the case of many of Literacy Services’ student/tutor pairs. One such pair is math tutor Richard Reid and High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) recipient, Charleen Scott.

Charleen and Richard diligently studying together, often for hours at a time.

In order to satisfy the criteria for earning the HSED, Charleen needed to complete the content of a math class at 80% or better. I asked Richard to work with her to help her be successful.    

Richard, a math tutor at Literacy Services since 2006, struggled in math at an early age. Eventually, turning weakness into strength, he became a math teacher and a specialist in after school tutoring programs for kids having trouble in the subject. His own difficulties with math have given him a special window through which to view his students’ challenges.  

“Whenever I work with a student, I explain my own history where math was my worst subject.” Richard recalls, “The minute math was mentioned, I was afraid because I’d been ridiculed by teachers.”

The two began working together a month before the class began. They met for three hours a day, five days a week. Richard would often take Charleen home since without an income, bus fare was hard to come by. He took her to MATC so she could enroll and helped her find the classroom. He spoke with the instructor to get permission to sit in on the classes with Charleen, so that he would know exactly what was being taught and how.  

So, for its duration, Richard and Charleen attended the class from 8:00am to 10:00am Monday through Thursday. Each day after class they came to Literacy Services to spend anywhere from two and a half to five hours in tutoring.

Although she was unemployed at the time, Richard observed, “Charleen is a person who has a really, really good work ethic. She was never late to class.  She was always there. I was really amazed at her dedication.”

Keeping such a demanding schedule required amazing dedication from Richard as well.  Beyond the act of simply devoting the time, Richard had to battle through ongoing health issues. On one occasion, he collapsed in the parking lot at MATC twice while on his way to class. After making his way back to his car where he rested for a few minutes, he then continued on to the class and afterwards, to Literacy Services for tutoring.  

His commitment struck a chord with Charleen.

“It meant a lot to me. I felt like he really cared because he saw the potential in me. He was coming here every day. If this man can be here everyday and he’s sick, I know I can do it.  That’s what made me believe more in myself. I cried. I’m not going to lie. I cried when I got by myself and thought about it.”

“Richard’s a good guy. When he works with you, he sticks with you to the end. That’s what he did with me. He stuck by me. He’s just a caring person. He was there every step from the beginning to the end. I really, really appreciate that.”

What does having a secondary credential mean to Charleen?

Charleen’s work ethic paid off!

“It makes me feel like I have a key to some doors. I might not have it to all doors, but right now it will open up the first door for me and I appreciate that because once I get in the first door, I can venture off and do whatever else it is I want to do.” 

Less than three weeks after earning her HSED, Charleen got permanent, full time employment and is now considering a degree in nursing. 

She learned about more than mere academics, however. 

“I was never a consistent person. By coming here I started to be more consistent. I started coming every day. Now, I’m more consistent in life with my job and everything. I don’t want to miss a day. I feel like it’s an important part of anything, to be consistent at what you do.

This place taught me that. It taught me a lot of things.”  

A smile slowly spreads across her face as she adds, “I’m just happy.”

Volunteer Opportunity: GED Tutor
The GED Program is looking for more tutors, like Richard, to assist students with the rigors of GED preparation. Interested persons should call 414-344-5878 for more information.

Can You Feel It?
By: Ginger Duiven, Executive Director

With winter on the run, the energy in the air all around us has shifted. Have you noticed it too? People are just a bit more upbeat, quick to share an easy smile and offer a couple of friendly words of greeting. So it is in the classrooms and halls of Literacy Services. There is a definite buzz as our classrooms fill each day. The sounds of tutors and students working together side by side or across the desk make the place vibrate with energy. Exclamations at an “ah-ha” learning moment, the quiet repetition of sounds and words being mastered, the patient explanations, the practiced and the mastered recitations, the inquiries and answers add to the buzz. There are the soundless contributions to the energy too: eyes looking up searching the sky for the answer just out of reach, the determined squint at the computer screen, the focused attention on a writing assignment. And there are smiles shared between adults working together to unlock their potential.

Yes, unlock their potential. Because, if I learned anything about this magical place, I have learned that it’s both adults in the learning partnership between tutor and student who are unlocking potential. The tutors are unlocking their knowledge, their compassion, and their abilities to teach, share, encourage and believe in someone. They bring their hope and courage that what they know and their ability to share will help somebody else who wants it. The student is engaged in the very human act of daring greatly. He is daring to believe that he can change his life, he can learn even if he’s been told he can’t, he dares to believe he is up to the challenges ahead despite the odds, the barriers, the risks and the past. 

This energy is created and sustained by the reciprocity of giving and growing. When you meet someone where they are, open yourself to them, and then work together on a shared goal it is quite possibly one of the most rewarding of human experiences.  The results are often surprising and may not be what either the tutor or the student expected. The combined energy definitely equals more than two.

This work changes the world, two flourishing people at a time. I can feel the energy, can you?

Literacy Services is in need of more volunteers to keep the energy going and growing. Do you know someone who is ready to unlock their potential and has 90 minutes to give each week? We need more tutors in all of our programs now. Do you know someone who would like to help but can’t spare that much time consistently? We have a new volunteer position, Advancement Coach, which requires less of a time commitment. Email volunteer@literacyservices.org for more information.

Please save the date for our 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner.

September 17, 2015 at 5:30pm we will gather to celebrate through the stories of those have lived this experience.

We hope you will join us! 

Season's Greetings

Cozy-up and stay warm with our latest edition of The Syllabus

In this issue: 

• Year in Review
• Learning to Fly with GED graduate Charles Grant
• Program Perspectives
• And more!

Click here to start reading now.

Two weeks until our GRAND Book Sale!

Thursday, October 16th - Thursday, October 23rd

The Shops of Grand Avenue

(Near mall entrance to Boston Store on second floor under the food court)

275 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203

Hours of Operation

Thursday, October 16th - Thursday, October 23rd

10am-6pm daily

Special Preview Hours

$10 admission

Thursday, October 16th

8:30am-10:00am

Click here to volunteer

Volunteer Appreciation Party!!

Volunteers, join us this Valentine’s Day for a celebration of YOU!

Meet our new Executive Director, Ginger Duiven! Enjoy lunch from a local eatery, homemade treats & words of gratitude from our staff and board members.

Please RSVP by February 7th, to ensure we have enough food!

Click the RSVP button below and tell us how many will be joining you.

• RSVP •

Literacy Services Introduces New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of Literacy Services of Wisconsin announced today that Ginger Duiven has joined the agency as the Executive Director.  Ms. Duiven will lead the oldest and largest adult basic education center providing one-on-one tutoring in Southeastern Wisconsin as it approaches its 50th year of serving students.

Ginger brings her considerable nonprofit management experience formed during her 10 years of service with the Urban Ecology Center, another leading organization dedicated to education.  In addition, Ginger’s 20-year publishing career in roles with Quad Graphics and Reiman Publications, round out her leadership experience.  In December, Ginger graduated with her Master of Business Administration from Alverno College.  “We couldn’t be more satisfied with our new leader,” says David Hanson, Board President and Shareholder at Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren.

Ginger says, “As someone who has personally experienced transformation through adult education, I am thrilled to join Literacy Services of Wisconsin at this exciting time.  With our 50th anniversary on the horizon, there is a rich history of achievement on which to build momentum for the next 50 years. With more than 50,000 adults in Milwaukee lacking the ability to read, there is a lot more to do.”

Ginger served as the Director of Development and Marketing for the Urban Ecology Center during a time of rapid growth and significant impact. Her leadership, experience and track record were the key reasons the Board Selection Committee chose her from a large pool of interested candidates.

You could be our next Executive Director!

Literacy Services of Wisconsin is looking for a new Executive Director. The cornerstone of our agency, this position requires a passion for adult education and the fund-raising, management and public-relations skills of a natural leader. LSW's Search Committee has released the full profile description of our open leadership position. Follow this link, ED Profile, to review all the attributes we are looking for in our new Executive Director. Interests applicants must apply by November 4th, by contacting Leading Transitions at LSW9@leadingtransitions.com. Requirements for submission are included in the Executive Director Profile. Do you have the drive to advocate for adult education and guide our team of staff, volunteers and students? Perhaps you know someone who does. Please forward this on to all parties that may be interested in taking on this important role.

THE BOOK SALE IS COMING!

Last year, our book sale fundraiser brought in over $11,000 for our organization and we are striving to make the event bigger and more lucrative than ever. To do it, we are asking for your help with one of our biggest challenges: Getting more books!

DONATE BOOKS OR HOST A DRIVE

From now until September 20th, we are hoping to bring in thousands of books. If you haven't already, consider donating books from your own library in the collection box at our entrance. Ask your friends and family if they have hardcovers and paperbacks they can spare. Our collection is not limited to books. We accept movies, music and audio-books on VHS, tape, CD and DVD too. However, we can not accept magazines, encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest Condensed Books or textbooks.
 If you are really ambitious, email dustin@literacyservices.org for information on hosting a book drive. Community areas of condos, apartment buildings, workplaces, churches and clubs are great places for our collection boxes. If you can get us in the door, we will deliver collection boxes and pick-up books. 

THE GRAND BOOK SALE

The Grand Avenue Mall will be hosting this year's sale from September 26th to October 3rd. After all the collecting is done, we welcome you come to visit us. The sale will take place above T.J. Maxx in a huge space that was once home to Old Navy. There are great deals to be had and plenty of volunteering opportunities too. Specific details about the event can be found here: http://www.literacyservices.org/events/booksale.html. We look forward to seeing you there!

Giving Thanks...

Please join us to celebrate our donors and volunteers and 

hear the impact LSW has made in the lives of our students.

Thursday, November 1st

5:30 – 7:00 (Brief program will begin at 6:00)

RSVP to: 414-344-5878 or mark@literacyservices.org

555 N. Plankinton Avenue

Parking available on the roof or in the lot across the street.