Batsiemisa ‘Prisca’ Bikumunu
Batsiemisa “Prisca” Bikumunu arrived in Tucson in December of 2015 as a refugee from Congo. She left behind her family including a brother and sister. She arrived in Tucson alone. There were no friends or family to welcome her. She did not speak English. Her first language is French but she also speaks Swahili and […]
Truly Community Based
Literacy Connects is unique in many ways. What may be surprising is that Literacy Connects, unlike many nonprofits of similar size, is not federally or state funded. The decision to operate free of government restrictions dates back to before the 2011 merger. The decision was made to offer services independent of the individual’s legal status. […]
The Need for Books
Walt Disney, is quoted as saying, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” Few would disagree. Books hold the treasure of endless hours of adventure and entertainment. Pick the right book and escape to a foreign land, fall in love, engage in espionage or whatever your heart […]
Voices of Literacy Connects, May / June 2018
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Field Trip On May 10, the Literacy Connects Writing Workshop took a field trip to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. We took a van and a private vehicle from Literacy Connects through the hills of Gates Pass to the museum. Students gazed at the saguaros, buildings, and lots of […]
Recipes from Our Countries
April 2018 Our Writing Workshop class cookbook started as an assignment. Everyone’s ideas went into the cookbook. We students are from many different places in the world; different countries, different islands, different backgrounds. We wrote recipes from our countries. Some are everyday dishes; some are holiday dishes. Some comfort us when we are sick and […]
RORSA Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. Sifontes of Carondelet Medical Group in Sahuarita
Dr. Maria Sifontes was born in Puerto Rico. Her family moved to the mainland about eighteen years ago and to Arizona in 1996. “As the second of seven kids, I have always loved children. My earliest memories are of my dad driving all of his brood to the local library exchange, where we would spend […]
Reading Seed Coaches make a lasting impact…
When Caitlin, now 11, was a first grader at Cottonwood Elementary, she always looked forward to her weekly visit with her “reading buddy,” Reading Seed coach Mrs. McKissick. As a young student, Caitlin struggled with reading and simply needed more support. Her reading coach made a significant difference in how she viewed time spent reading […]
Question: “Hello, what is your name?” Answer: “Hello, What is your name?”
This was how the Spring 2011 semester began in the pre-lit class held at Wright Elementary. About 6 Somali and middle-eastern women made the walk and/or bus ride(or multiple bus rides) to attend the class. All possessed extremely limited or no English knowledge and most could barely read & write in their native language. A […]
Volunteer for Literacy
One will never know what the impact volunteering has on a person or place until they do it. To be a volunteer you not only have to have commitment, but a passion for what you are doing. Sally Hill is just that, a committed volunteer and has a passion to encourage and promote literacy throughout […]
