LIHU‘E — Imagine shopping at the grocery store, but being unable to read the ingredients on a can of soup. Visualize trying to fill out your Social Security paperwork, but not knowing what it states. Picture yourself driving along the
LIHU‘E — Imagine shopping at the grocery store, but being unable to read the ingredients on a can of soup. Visualize trying to fill out your Social Security paperwork, but not knowing what it states. Picture yourself driving along the road, but being unable to read traffic signs.
About 16 percent of Hawai‘i’s adult population lack basic literacy skills, according to a 2003 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education.
On Kaua‘i, about 5,500 adults lack basic literacy skills, according to Hawai‘i Literacy, a volunteer-driven organization that helps people read, write and gain lifelong skills.
“Growing up, my teachers didn’t think I’d amount to anything,” said Dennis Dresser, Kaua‘i adult literacy coordinator for Hawai‘i Literacy. “This is my way to give back.”
Students who enter the Hawai‘i Literacy program come from all different backgrounds, Dennis said.
Some were born in a foreign country, others grew up with English as their first language. Some never graduated high school, while others work in management positions.
Dennis, along with his wife, Claudia Dresser, have tasked themselves with training and matching adult tutors with adult students who wish to learn how to read and write English.
“It’s personally fulfilling knowing I helped others change their lives and become self confidant and comfortable,” said Claudia, who also works as a literary coordinator for Kaua‘i Adult School.
Dennis and Claudia, along with a team of tutors, meet students one-on-one twice a week to conduct free tutoring sessions that are designed to meet students’ personal goals.
If people know of an adult in their family, neighborhood or work that would like to improve their reading and writing skills, Hawai‘i Literacy can help, Dennis said.
Hawai‘i Literacy was founded in 1971 to train volunteers to teach adults to read and write using relevant workbook materials. Dresser has a library of more than 600 books donated from Borders that he lends to students.
In turn, the students are able to gain life skills and knowledge they can pass down to their children.
Students are paired with nationally certified tutors who have undergone a 16-hour tutor-training workshop. They meet twice a week in a neutral setting, like a public library or coffee shop, for an hour to an hour-and-a-half. The sessions are flexible, and students are carefully matched with tutors who fit their needs, according to Dennis.
During each training session, the team works through workbooks. Each book costs about $11, which is used for six to eight months. If students are unable to pay for the workbook, scholarships are available.
Adrian Hernandez, a student of Hawai‘i Literacy, has been meeting one-one-one with Dennis for the past two years.
Born in Mexico, Hernandez moved to Kaua‘i three years ago to provide a better life for himself and his family.
“When I came to the island, I did not understand many things,” Hernandez said. “Dennis is a good tutor. He is teaching me and pushing me all the time. He says ‘Adrian, don’t quit the program. English is the key to get a better job.’”
With his lessons, Hernandez said he is feeling better about himself because he can interact more with people day-to-day. He continues the program with the goal of becoming a restaurant manager, a job he held in Mexico. His wife and children, who currently live in Mexico, are learning English in preparation for their move to Kaua‘i, and Hernandez said his wife plans on enrolling in the program when she comes.
“It makes one feel good able to help others,” said Jan Rentz, a tutor for Hawai‘i Literacy. “Adults, when they do learn something, they appreciate it so much. It’s quite rewarding.”
Rentz has been a volunteer tutor for five years. In that time, she has tutored three students. The student she is currently working with has tutored with her the past two years.
“There’s quite a high rate of illiteracy among adults among the islands, and they have no hope of getting a job or bettering themselves if they can’t read,” Rentz said. “That’s my biggest reason for doing it. It’s rewarding and it’s fun because you get to know the people quite well.”
Currently, the Kaua‘i branch is looking for English and bilingual speaking volunteer tutors to support students who speak little to no English.
Tutors who speak Thai, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Ileana and Tagalog are especially needed.
“If you can speak English, lead a life, then you can teach,” Dresser said.
Those unable to become a tutor can help by donating money to the organization. A $350 donation covers the cost to tutor one adult for a year, according to Hawai‘i Literacy. One year of tutoring can increase an adult’s reading skills by several grade levels.
The Kaua‘i branch of Hawai‘i Literacy is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tutoring takes place outside of the office.
Contact Dresser at islandvision@hawaii.rr.com or call 332-5544 for more information.
