Why APPALREAD

Many children growing up in the coalfields of southern West Virginia today are dealing with poverty, overcrowded classrooms, and substandard living conditions. To be ready to take advantage of the information age, our children need extra help, especially in reading and writing. APPALREAD is the result of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College partnering with local service providers, community leaders, and educators to address the needs of the communities we serve.

Children served by APPALREAD face many barriers that can prevent them from achieving academic success: generational poverty, isolation, and a scarcity of community-based educational services. Individuals with low educational skills generally live in poverty. Because of this, any prevention or intervention-based program targeting the literacy skills of children must address the needs of the family also. APPALREAD provides a community-based service: literacy education to "at risk" families with children, age 0-8, in some of the most isolated, rural communities of southern West Virginia.

There is nothing comparable to APPALREAD in West Virginia. First, we are a grassroots initiative that engages local residents in providing literacy education to children and families. Second, the program is inclusive. We do not determine which children or families are served based on their annual income. Instead, we focus on those children and families who need help learning to read. Third, and most importantly, we are a holistic program. APPALREAD serves the child, the family, and the community.

Appalread Mission

Mission
APPALREAD's mission is to help children and families in southern West Virginia gain the literacy skills they need to succeed in life.

Vision
APPALREAD envisions a world where every child has a love of reading and the literacy skills they need to succeed in life and family members will have opportunities for life long learning that assists them in their ongoing personal vocational development leading to economic self-sufficiency and educational enrichment. We envision communities that are able to support families to be their children's best teacher. We believe this is the cornerstone for a vibrant economically independent West Virginia.

Appalread

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College is committed to providing high quality educational services within our region. One of our goals is to work with educators, business leaders and community leaders in developing programs that contribute to the long-term growth and diversification of West Virginia’s economy. We recognize that the provision of educational programming must extend beyond the traditional classroom and that in order to compete in a global market we must continuously ask ourselves – what can we still do? The answer lies in APPALREAD.

APPALREAD is an AmeriCorps program sponsored by Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and the Corporation for National and Community Service. APPALREAD’s mission is to help children and families in southern West Virginia gain the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Each year APPALREAD places full time AmeriCorps members in Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming Counties. These members commit to serving 1,700 hours as Reading Coaches in local elementary schools and Head Start Centers, tutoring and mentoring children, ages 0 – 8 years, who have been identified as “at-risk” in literacy. Over the past twelve years APPALREAD’s AmeriCorps members have provided a high quality service for thousands of children. As a result, these children have shown an average increase in their reading skills of 14 to 17 percentile annually.

In exchange for their service, APPALREAD AmeriCorps members receive a modest living allowance ($11,400 in 2008), an educational award of $4,725, and health benefits if eligible. Member participate in over 100 hours of high quality training, focusing on the five reading proficiencies as outlined by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and leadership development. Recruitment for the new school year begins in May. All interested individuals must attend a recruitment workshop in June before applying for a position. Applicants must also take a literacy proficiency quiz, adminstered during the workshop, to be eligible for an interview.

If you are interested in serving as an AmeriCorps member, please call the APPALREAD office at 304.896.7371 to obtain a schedule of the 2008 recruitment workshops.

Appalread Application

Dear Friend:

Thank you for your interest in the APPALREAD AmeriCorps program. APPALREAD is a wonderful opportunity for dedicated individuals to earn money for college, serve their communities, gain “real life” work experience, and develop leadership skills. Each year APPALREAD’s AmeriCorps Members help teach hundreds of young children how to succeed in literacy!

APPALREAD is a community service program whose mission is “To help families in southern West Virginia gain the literacy skills they need to succeed in life.” APPALREAD AmeriCorps Members work with children and families who are identified as at risk in literacy. APPALREAD is sponsored by Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service.

APPALREAD AmeriCorps Members serve in Logan, Lincoln, Mingo, Wyoming, and Boone Counties. These Members serve out of elementary schools, Head Start Centers, day care centers and small nonprofits. Each member commits to serving for 1700 hours (approximately 40 hours a week) for 10.5 months. In return for this service each member receives a modest living allowance ($11,400), an educational award of $4,725, and health and childcare benefits if eligible. Members also receive 100+ hours of training in leadership development and the five reading proficiences as outlined by the No Child Left Behinc Act of 2001.

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College welcomes all applications, regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, political affiliation, or religion. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The minimum qualifications are a high school diploma or GED, 18 years of age, an U.S. citizen, a love of reading, and the ability to work with young children and families.

Next year’s APPALREAD program begins August 4, 2007. Interested individuals must attend a recruitment workshop before applying. A schedule of dates, times, and locations will be posted on this web site in May 2008. You only need to attend one workshop, of your choice. It is not necessary to register. All questions regarding APPALREAD, AmeriCorps, and this service opportunity will be answered during the screening interview.

If you have any questions about APPALREAD please do not hesitate to call us at 304.896.7371. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Pauline Sturgill
Director of Community Development Office/APPALREAD

Appalread Sites

Boone County

Ashford-Rumble Elementary School
PO Box 540
Ashford, WV 25009
304.836.5381
Site Supervisor, Ada Dolin

Brookview Elementary School
1 Learning Way
Foster, WV 25081
304.369.1012
Site Supervisor, Mary Nelson

Jeffrey Spencer Elementary School
PO Box 319
Hewlett, WV 25108
304.369.1342
Site Supervisor, Nancy Brown

Nellis Elementary School
#! School Street
Nellis, WV 25142
304.836.5281
Site Supervisor, Mary Ann Baisden

Ramage Elementary School
15908 Spruce River Rd.
Danville, WV 25053
304.369.0763
Site Supervisor, Ester Bell

Sherman Elementary School
P.O. Box 369
Comfort, WV 25049
304.837.8310
Site Supervisor, Amy Casto

Logan County

Omar Elementary School
P.O. Box 590
Omar, WV 25882
304.946.2660
Site Supervisor, Darlene Adkins

Dehue Head Start
P.O. Box 1346
Logan, WV 25601
304.752.6868 or 304.752.9360
Site Supervisor, Linda Tweed

Mingo County

Burch Elementary School
Rt. 3, Box 41B
Delbarton, WV 25670
304.475.2141
Site Supervisor, Marge Fletcher

Dingess Elementary School
P.O. Box 34
Dingess, WV 25671
304.752.7036
Site Supervisor, Donald Spence

Gilbert Elementary School
PO Box 365
Gilbert, WV 25621
304.664.5042
Site Supervisor, Delmer Blankenship

Kermit Elementary School
P.O. Box 720
Kermit, WV 25674
304.393.4130
Site Supervisor, Dora Chaffin

Lenore Elementary School
#1 Ranger DriveLenore, WV 25676
304.475.5232
Site Supervisor, Sabrina Runyon

Matewan Elementary School
100 Chambers St.
Matewan, WV 25678
304.426.4719
Site Supervisor, John Hatfield

Riverside Elementary School
5 Parkway Drive
Williamson, WV 25661
304.235.2520
Site Supervisor, Cindy Calfee