Rochester, New York. Literacy Volunteers of Rochester Inc. has partnered with Kiva Rochester to help spur small business development in the city through its Digital Literacy program.

Kiva Rochester itself is a partnership between Kiva, the San Francisco-based nonprofit, and the City of Rochester. Kiva crowdsources interest-free loans to small businesses or those individuals interested in starting a small business. Loans range up to ten thousand dollars.

LVR’s Digital Literacy is a 5-year old program that places volunteers in 8 community locations who assist people in learning basic computer skills or completing essential computer-related tasks. Those tasks include creating online accounts, seeking information, creating resumes, applying for jobs online and much more.

Digital Literacy volunteers are working with applicants to complete the online application, especially narrative sections that require a loan description, business description and personal story. Volunteers work at city libraries (Arnett, Lincoln, Lyell, Phillis Wheatley and Sully), Greece Community Education (200 Alcott Road, Greece), Veterans Outreach Center and LVR’s main office on South Avenue.

WHAT: A new partnership between LVR’s Digital Literacy and Kiva Rochester

WHO: LVR’s Digital Literacy, Kiva (a San Francisco-based nonprofit), Office of the Mayor/City of Rochester, Rochester Public Libraries, city library branches including Arnett, Lincoln, Lyell, Phillis Wheatley and Sully

WHEN: Volunteers have already been working with Kiva applicants at city libraries. See the Digital Literacy schedule of volunteer hours at community sites here: https://literacyrochester.org/schedule/

Click for Printable PDF

Adult literacy intersects with almost every socioeconomic issue—parenting, health,
workforce development, and poverty. To address these issues effectively, we must
invest in educating parents and workers. Adult education helps break the cycles of
intergenerational illiteracy and poverty by giving adults the skills they need to be
successful as workers and parents.

The value of adult low literacy to our economy in additional wages and the reduction
in costs for public support programs is estimated at more than $200 billion per year.
Increasing adults’ level of education is a sound investment. Yet, public funding of
adult education has declined over the last 15 years. Most adult education programs
have long student waiting lists. They are able to serve only a fraction of adults who
need services.

Click for printable fact sheet

ProLiteracy is excited to announce that the TV show Secret Lives of Americans has filmed an episode about an adult who struggles with low literacy skills. Secret Lives of Americans is a groundbreaking documentary series that takes an unflinching look at the secrets people keep and the strength that it takes to reveal them to friends and family.

Watch the story of Cleo, a loving and supportive mother from Alabama, who has always encouraged her children to pursue their educational goals—all while keeping a secret that’s been holding her back. Watch the episode on Friday, June 3 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Pivot TV, or watch a recording of the episode online.

“Studies show that the average child on welfare is exposed to 616 words per hours, a child in a working class family is exposed to double that (1,251 words per hour), and children in professional families experience 2,153 words per hour.  … Vocabulary development during the preschool years is related to success in school.”

(This excerpt was originally published in The Daily Record on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Click here for full article.)

The Digital Literacy program at LVR was a finalist for the 2016 Matchstick Prize, given by Causewave Community Partners (formerly the Ad Council of Rochester).

Digital Literacy was one of 5 finalists among a total of 54 submissions for the prize. Sponsored by the Democrat & Chronicle Media Group, the prize includes $5,000 in cash and $25,000 in ad space in the newspaper. It is available to nonprofits with a smaller than $1 million budget to support an innovative or creative project. Finalists were selected based on their ability to demonstrate work which had resulted in meaningful and measurable impact on the Rochester community.

Next year, LVR hopes to launch a Digital Literacy Movement that will raise awareness about the growing digital divide, engage large numbers of volunteers and advocates, and implement achievable solutions.

Over the years, LVR has evolved its understanding of adult literacy. In addition to English language literacy, LVR supports math literacy, family literacy and digital literacy. For more about the Digital Literacy Movement, email Brian Kane at bkane@literacyrochester.org.

The other finalists for the prize included NAMI Rochester, Gilda’s Club, Angels of Mercy and Compeer Rochester. NAMI Rochester was awarded the prize on April 20 at a Causewave breakfast including more than 520 people.

To volunteer with LVR, click here to connect the Preview Session calendar. Attending a Preview Session is the first step to becoming a volunteer.

To donate to LVR, click here.

The Paychex Community Foundation awarded LVR a $2,000 grant to support our overall programs which include instructional and digital literacy services to over 600 individuals annually. LVR volunteers annually contribute more than 17,000 hours of service.

The Davenport-Hatch Foundation announced that LVR will receive a $5,000 grant to support the expansion of our Digital Literacy coordinator position to full-time. The program now provides services at 6 sites in Monroe County for about 60 hours per week.

St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church continues to lead Rochester into the digital frontier. With a $1,500 grant to LVR’s Digital Literacy program, St. Thomas’ once again shows it understands the link between poverty, literacy and technology.

Digital Literacy navigators work in six locations around the city and the county providing frontline support to people who are technology challenged. From learning computer tips, to completing online job or benefit applications, to writing resumes or participating in online tutorials, Digital Literacy navigators work to close the digital divide with our customers who have limited access to computers and the internet.

St. Thomas’ Investment is About Community

St. Thomas’ gives more than funds. Sara Dougherty, a St. Thomas’s parishioner, is a long-time navigator who has worked with the program at locations in Greece and Rochester. Another parishioner, Mort Nace, continues to be a dedicated Digital Literacy advocate. Thanks are also due to Connie and Peter Barker, and the entire congregation of St. Thomas’ for their continuing financial support.

Join St. Thomas’ by supporting Digital Literacy with a donation today!

Or, you can work alongside the amazing volunteers from St. Thomas’ by becoming a volunteer today!