Meet your blogger!

(wo)man behind the curtain

My name is Annie and I am the new social media intern for the Florida Literacy Coalition. I grew up just outside of Detroit and spent the last four years in Chicago at DePaul University studying International Studies and Peace Studies. I worked in new media on a couple campaigns and used social networking to recruit and organize on campus. My interests include biking, social justice, learning new things and games.  I am really excited about my upcoming year as a VISTA at FLC.  I’m here to help and assist you with a variety of literacy resources. The focus of entries will be on health, family, financial, ESL, and digital literacy as well as career pathways and helpful community tips. Like I said, I’m here to help you, so if there is any topic you’d like to see more of or want to include, let me know!

One of the new things we are working on is guest bloggers. Every other week we will feature someone in the literacy field (tutor, trainer, or adult learner) telling us more about their experiences, tips of the trade, and resources. If you are interested in contributing, contact us here. We want to highlight community all stars and also learn more about their insights on tutoring, literacy, and life.

.. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for daily insights/information on financial, family, and health literacy!

Key Features of WTI’s Career Pathways to Success Program

In a recent FLC webinar, Judy Johnson, of Witlacoochie Technical Institute, provided session participants with helpful information about implementing a career pathways program.  Read some of the highlights of the webinar and be sure to contact Hope Lynn @ FLC if you want to partner with us in developing a career pathways coaching program!

LESSONS LEARNED

1:  A focus on Career Pathways provides a context for academic achievement, motivation for students to remain in school, guidance for career selection and a foundation for career pursuit, use of career preparation to provide interdisciplinary problem-solving and critical thinking application, and a foundation for lifelong learning—and lifelong earning.

2:  Strong Advisory Committee that includes Adult Education Students, WTI Administrative Staff, WTI Student Services Staff, WTI Adult Education and CTE Instructors, College of Central Florida Staff, Workforce Board Members, Program Advisory Council Members

3:  Improved Student Performance as documented by assessment scores and postsecondary transition data.

4:  Enhanced Intake and Referral Process that includes identification of a Career Pathway and the development of an Educational and Career Pathway Transition Plan.

5:  Enhanced Recruitment and Retention Strategies include goal setting and needs assessment to identify barriers to program completion, and providing workshops and services designed to assist students in overcoming those barriers. These include access to free daycare at our suite as well as workshops on such topics as Time Management, Organization, Financial Literacy, Test Taking Skills, Study Skills, Financial Aide, and Navigating the Postsecondary Application Process. Tutoring in Math and Writing is also provided.

6:  Career Counseling is provided by the Career Transition Facilitator and WTI Guidance Counselors. They coordinate the transition process by providing ongoing academic and career counseling through use of the Educational and Career Pathway Transition Plan, CHOICES, and Career Pathway roadmaps developed with our staff.

7:  The creation and implementation of a local relational database that allows all stakeholders to have access to student information and provides a mechanism for tracking student progress and goal attainment. The Educational and Career Pathway Transition Plan is generated within the database and provides structure and motivation for student success.