Graduation 2010

The Literacy Center held its annual Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at The Barristers Club in Allentown.  Participating students were adults who passed the GED® test within this past year and ESL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students who successfully completed the program requirements. 

Over 250 family members and friends joined The Literacy Center Board of Directors and staff as they watched the proud graduates march in their caps and gowns.  Those assembled heard inspirational speeches from five special honorees. 

The McCrossan Literacy Achievement Award was presented to Pedro J. Williams for his significant achievements in the years following his graduation from The Literacy Center's GED® program.  Olympia Mucellin received the Center's Distinguished Service Award for her 30 years of helping students as a Volunteer Tutor.  This year's Volunteer of the Year designation was awarded to Dianne Melnychuk. 

Graduating students Anna Strohl, this year's ESL Student Representative, and John Davis, the Center's GED® Student Representative, each gave moving comments about what The Literacy Center meant to them. 

Photograph courtesy of Michael M. Rosenfeld

"Literacy Changes Lives" Golf Outing to be Held in October

The annual "Literacy Changes Lives" Golf Outing will be held at the beautiful Olde Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli on Friday, October 1.  Lunch, range practice, 18 holes of golf with cart, on-course contests with prizes and a barbeque dinner will fill out the event schedule. 

The money raised through this event will be put to good use in support of our programs, all of which are offered free of charge to our students. 

Photograph courtesy of Michael M. Rosenfeld

Save Up to $400 a Year!

Making small changes to everyday habits and doing a few simple upgrades can help make your home more energy efficient and save you money.  The Literacy Center is now distributing FREE PPL E-PowerWise Easy Savings Program kits that will help low to moderate income PPL customers save up to $400 a year in energy costs.  The kits, a $50 value, contain a high-efficiency showerhead, a bathroom faucet aerator, a kitchen faucet aerator, two compact fluorescent light bulbs, a LimeLite® night light and more.  In addition to these items, the kits contain information on ways to reduce energy consumption throughout the home. 

Recipients of the kits also have an opportunity to enter a drawing for $100 by completing and returning an energy use survey. 

To be eligible for the kit, PPL customers must meet household income requirements:

                    # of people in household                             household income

                                       1                                                        $16,245

                                       2                                                        $21,855

                                       3                                                        $27,465

                                       4                                                        $33,075

                                       5                                                        $38,685

                                       6                                                        $44,290
                                       7                                                        $49,905

                                       8                                                        $55,515

                           + additional                                                   $5,610

To obtain a free kit, simply bring your PPL bill to The Literacy Center at 801 Hamilton Street, Suite 201 in Allentown (Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM).   You will be required to fill out a short form to receive the kit and be on your way to saving energy and money. 

Don't miss out on this opportunity provided by the PPL Electric Utilities E-PowerWise Program.  Only available while supplies last. 

Storybook Breakfast's "Tales of the Deep Blue Sea" Featured Pirates, Mermaids and Sea Creatures of the Fun Kind!

The Literacy Center presented its 11th Annual Storybook Breakfast at the Kasych Family Pavilion at the Lehigh Valley Hospital on Saturday, March 27th, 2010.  The program, geared toward children aged 4 - 8 and their friends and families, began with a hearty breakfast buffet.  Costumed storybook characters, interactive storytelling presentations, arts and crafts and lots of fun brought favorite children's stories to life throughout the morning, which ended with the popular "Super-Duper" Book Swap.  Each child left with a goodie bag full of fun items.   Storybook Breakfast is The Literacy Center's major community and fundraising event.  All proceeds benefit the literacy programs offered by The Literacy Center.

Middle-earth Studios presented interactive storytelling which encouraged the children to don costumes and act out "The Flying Pegasus".  Pirates, damsels in distress and mermaids provided a rollicking good time for parents and children alike. 

Folksinger Daria allowed children to explore the world of music as she entertained them with a variety of instruments.  Her island music provided the children with opportunities to play instruments, sing and dance while parents enjoyed their performances. 

Children enjoyed making simple musical instruments out of recycled objects and decorated painter's caps in the Art and Crafts portion of the program.  Balloon twisters dressed as pirates made fish, swords, octopi and scepters for the children while they worked on their caps and instruments.

The Literacy Center would not be able to present this fun event without the enthusiastic assistance of volunteers who help with everthing from set up to clean up. Thank you, one and all!

Save the Date!   Mark your calendars for next year's Storybook Breakfast - Saturday, March 26, 2011.

All photographs courtesy of Michael M. Rosenfeld

The Literacy Center wishes to thank the following sponsors of Storybook Breakfast:

Presenting Sponsors: 

Silver Sponsor: 

Bronze Sponsors: 

Adams Outdoor Advertising

Campbell, Rappold & Yurasits LLP

Capital BlueCross

Crayola LLC

Highmark Blue Shield

Lehigh Valley Physician Group

Sodexho

UGI Utilities, Inc.

New Addition to The Literacy Center Board of Directors

The Literacy Center proudly announces the election of the following individual to its Board of Directors:

Judith Rance-Roney, Ed.D. holds the B.A. in Liberal Arts and the M.S. in Education with special focus on English as a Second Language from SUNY College at Buffalo.  In 1994 she was awarded the Ed.D. in Reading Education from Lehigh University.

Judy is an Associate Professor, STEP Director and Department Chair at DeSales University.  Previously she served as Assistant Professor of Secondary Education at the State University of New York at New Paltz, Director of English as a Second Language at Lehigh University, and Director of Adult Literacy Education Programs at Northampton Community College.  Her major teaching areas include: ESL teacher education, curriculum and assessment, literacy for diverse learners, secondary English, adult education, reading education and writing and composition.

Dr. Rance-Roney has been honored as Founder of Global Union at Lehigh University and as Faculty/Staff Scholar by Phi Beta Delta International Honorary Society.  She has also been awarded the Outstanding Literacy Program Director by the U.S. Dept. of Education and for Excellence in Teaching by Northampton Community College.  She is a published author of numerous articles and chapters on topics pertaining to English Language Learning and instruction, as well a presenter on related topics.