Twin Lakes Literacy Council receives award

The Twin Lakes Literacy Council recently received the 2017 Arkansas Literacy Council Innovative Project Award. The award recognizes the Twin Lakes Literacy Council’s computer classes in Microsoft Word and Excel, a project initiated in 2016 by tutor Laura Johnson.Literacy Council director Nancy Tester says Johnson, who relocated to Mountain Home from Dallas in early 2016, contacted the Literacy Council requesting classes be offered that she could teach. Johnson brought a career in technology, experience creating instructional videos and job coaching, and prior computer instruction to the Literacy Council class offerings.

Tester says the Literacy Council knew area employers had a need for individuals trained in Microsoft Office programs and often expressed difficulty in filling openings due to a skills gap.

She says research indicated adults who sought to develop their technology skills found their options were limited. The training offered locally in these programs was during work hours and the costs were often prohibitive.

The Literacy Council’s response was to offer the training in the evenings or on Saturday mornings to attract students who needed the training. The classes have also attracted retirees who are using their new skills to help local non-profit agencies.

The success of the new programs led to the Literacy Council receiving the state-level award.

Johnson will accept the Innovative Project Award at the Arkansas Literacy Council’s annual luncheon Friday, May 19 in Little Rock.

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