(L–R) Commissioners Jim Cutler, Keith Greene, and Jeff

Long, Executive Director Shirley Smith, and

Commissioners Ray Johnson and Bobby Winters.

Photo by Mike O’Neal, Walker County Messenger.

GAINESVILLE/HALL COUNTY ALLIANCE FOR LITERACY

THE 2ND ANNUAL Dancing for a Cause event was held

August 29 at the Chattahoochee Country Club. Ten local

celebrities donned their dancing shoes to support the

community through the following human services

agencies: Alliance for Literacy, Center Point, Rape

Response, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention. The night

was a huge success, grossing over $140,000.

On September 17, the 2015 GED Graduation was held at

Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church. The Alliance

sponsored an honors night for the GED students on

August 6.

Dorothy Shinafelt

Executive Director

ADULT LITERACY BARROW

ADULT LITERACY BARROW is pleased to receive a $12,000

grant from the Jackson EMC “Round up Grant” program.

The funds will be used to open another GED class for

paroled inmates living in Barrow County. The grant will

enable the hiring of a full-time instructor and assistant as

well as the purchase of laptops to assist the probation

inmates as they pursue their court-ordered GED

instruction. The class will operate in partnership with

Project Adam, a program that works with citizens in need

in Barrow County.

Ron Saunders

Executive Director

CATOOSA CITIZENS FOR LITERACY

TO HONOR THE ongoing efforts of Catoosa Citizens for

Literacy (CCL), in its recent public meeting the Catoosa

County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation

deeming September as Literacy Month. The proclamation

stated, “Recognition should be made of the importance of

the literacy level in Catoosa County, its impact on an

employable work force, and the emotional, physical and

economic wellbeing.” The Board applauded CCL for its

efforts in benefitting the community. “We’ve come a long

way,” CCL Executive Director Shirley Smith said. “But our

jobs aren’t over.”

Shirley Smith

Executive Director

MONROE COUNTY ADULT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION (MCACE)

MONROE COUNTY Adult and Community Education

(MCACE) hosted its annual Ladies' Tea. The event was

attended by over 50 ladies, who enjoyed hearing the

insights and experiences of guest speaker Horace

Holmes, Jr.

At the age of 55, and after significant lifetime

achievements, honors, and a successful career as a

photographer, Mr. Holmes acknowledged that he was

functionally illiterate. He began a 10-year commitment to

develop his reading skills through resources at Central

Georgia Technical College. The attendees were inspired

by his message about the benefits of Adult Education.

CLCP NEWS

A Quarterly Report of the Certified Literate Community Program

Issue 74 October 2015

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The ladies at the tea also enjoyed prizes donated by

local merchants, including Ashley Marie, Twin Oaks

Farms, High Cotton and Sassy and Chic Salon.

The Ladies' Tea fundraiser supports MCACE, which

funds GED scholarships, a high school scholarship, an

8th grade essay contest, and the 3rd and 6th grade

dictionary and thesaurus book giveaways.

IN HONOR OF Literacy Month, MCACE and its GED

students hosted a community Ice Cream Social. The

event was open to the whole community and featured free

ice cream and book readings. MCACE also held a “Super

Fun Super Hero Literacy Night” and encouraged parents

and students to come in during parent teacher

conferences to participate in superhero activities that

promoted literacy, including creating your own comic strip,

decorating cookies with your own super hero logo,

superhero bookmark and mask making, and a book

reading featuring a special hero.

Lisa Lee

Executive Director

JACKSON COUNTY CLCP

THE JACKSON COUNTY CLCP held its annual Honors Day

picnic celebration on August 8. GED and ESL students

and their families gathered to celebrate their

accomplishments together. During the celebration,

completion achievers, citizenship awardees, scholarship

recipients, honor society inductees and volunteers were

recognized for their hard work during the year. There

were over 100 in attendance.

THE CLCP AND the adult literacy center hosted an open

house for a new ESL class. The class will be held at a

middle school in an area that had not previously had

literacy options. Another open house took place in

October for a new GED/ESL class in the West Jackson

area, another location that has not been available in

years. The CLCP will sponsor the part-time teacher’s first

year of salary. Additionally, a class started last spring in

the South Jackson Elementary School. The school

approached the CLCP about hosting this class in return

for providing the teacher.

THE CLCP HAS successfully used a grant from the

Jackson Electric Membership Foundation to buy new

computers, programs, equipment and books for the

Jackson County Correctional Institute GED class. This

support has advanced the opportunities for the detainees

by helping them to get a jump start on their lives when

they are released.

JACKSON COUNTY CLCP is the grateful recipient of a

donation from Southeast Toyota/JM Family Enterprises.

This donation will be used to purchase new computers for

the CLCP center.

Sandra Fite

Executive Director

WIREGRASS SOUTH REGIONAL CLCP

THE GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION annually recognizes

outstanding CLCP executive directors with a Leader of

Distinction Award. This year Judy Stewart, Executive

Director of the Wiregrass South Regional CLCP, was

named a 2015 Georgia Press Association CLCP Leader

of Distinction. The award included a check for $250 for

the Wiregrass South CLCP and a plaque congratulating

Ms. Stewart (pictured center below).

Judy Stewart

Executive Director

CLCP Information

CLCP is an innovative program designed to promote

community literacy and improve literacy levels throughout

Georgia. If you are interested in starting a CLCP in your

community, Contact Billie Izard at 404-679-5256 or

bizard@tcsg.edu or CLCP, TCSG, 1800 Century Place NE,

Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30345.

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Left: Christopher Malone. Right: (L–R) Kindle Fire winner

Tammy Hatton and Executive Director Jennifer Smith.

CLINCH COUNTY CLCP

IN HONOR OF Adult Education and Family Literacy Week,

Clinch County CLCP highlighted outstanding Adult

Education students every day on its social media page.

One of the highlighted students, Christopher Malone,

encouraged other potential Adult Education students,

saying, “Have confidence in yourself, believe you can do

it and have faith.” The CLCP also encouraged the

community to spend 20 minutes reading each day and

held a prize drawing for Carter’s and Subway gift cards.

The grand prize winner received a Kindle Fire.

Clinch County CLCP will be hosting a BINGO for Books

booth at the annual Homerville community fall carnival on

October 29.

Jennifer Smith

Executive Director

SUMTER COUNTY LEAP

SUMTER COUNTY LEAP is grateful to receive $2,000 from

United Way in support of the CLCP’s mission of ensuring

that every adult earns their GED and every student grows

up to become a successful adult.

LEAP VOLUNTEERED at the Georgia Southwestern State

University Community Fair on August 26 to recruit

mentors.

IN RECOGNITION OF International Literacy Day, LEAP

representatives spoke to the students enrolled in adult

education classes at the McLain Center about the

importance of literacy. They also spoke about

employability skills and gave job application, resume, and

interview tips. At the end of the presentation, a handout

was distributed suggesting activities parents can do with

their children to support literacy.

LEAP’S ANNUAL Belk Charity Fundraiser is in the works.

Every year, Belk hosts an exclusive sale to support

nonprofit organizations. This year, the sale will be on

Saturday, November 7, from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM. It will

provide discounts between 20% to 70% on all items in the

store including those normally excluded from sales and

promotions. Also, the first 100 guests will be eligible for a

$100 gift card drawing. Tickets to access the event are on

sale. All proceeds go toward the supporting nonprofits

and can be purchased through LEAP.

Brittany Dawson

Executive Director

LITERACY COUNCIL OF MACON COUNTY

ON AUGUST 1, the Literacy Council of Macon County Inc.

and Modern Woodmen of America participated in the

Macon County School System “Back to School Bash.”

Together, the organizations distributed 400 pencils, 300

boxes of crayons, and 300 notebooks to the students of

Macon County. In addition, Modern Woodmen of America

and the Literacy Council were Platinum Sponsors for the

event.

The Literacy COUNCIL of Macon County Inc., in

partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) Safe Kids, National Child

Passenger Safety Board, is offering a free Car Seats and

Restraint Training class to promote greater safety in the

community.

THE LITERACY COUNCIL of Macon County Inc., in

collaboration with Modern Woodmen of America, held a

Community Social Potluck Dinner on September 11. The

Literacy Council and Modern Woodmen of America

provided the main dish and invited community members

to bring friends and family as well as their favorite side

dishes to enjoy. Several community members were in

attendance, including many past and present students of

the Literacy Council.

Spring Rosati

Executive Director

For CLCP information and materials visit the CLCP

website at www.clcpga.org

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Going for the Buzzer! The Rotary Club of Tifton (shown in top picture

and on the right in the bottom picture) took first place in the Carnival

of Knowledge, with the Exchange Club of Tifton (second from right)

in second place and Lasseter Equipment (left) in third place. Fourth

place was Erika Johnson Law Firm (second from left).

READING EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF DAWSON COUNTY (READ)

READ PRESENTED CERTIFICATES and expressed

appreciation to its 2015 CLCP Honor Roll nominees,

Karin McKee (left photo below) and Julie Hughes Nix

(right photo). These individuals make a difference in the

lives of Dawson County residents through their personal

commitment to improved literacy and education.

Sandy Lipkowitz

Executive Director

LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY

LITERACY VOLUNTEERS of Tifton-Tift County marked

Literacy Day and Week in Georgia with two events: a

proclamation signing with the mayor and Tifton City

Council on Literacy Day, September 8, and the 16th

Annual Carnival of Knowledge Trivia Competition on

September 10.

Eighteen teams vied for the title of Tift County trivia

champions in the Carnival of Knowledge at Southern

Regional Technical College, Tifton. The Rotary Club of

Tifton came out on top with team members Dr. Bret

Wagenhorst, Frank Sayles Jr. and Jeff Gibbs each

receiving three nights at a mountain cabin in Dahlonega,

in addition to other great prizes.

Second place went to the Exchange Club of Tifton,

and Lasseter Equipment of Tifton took third place. In

addition to sponsoring teams, many local businesses

provided prizes. Literacy Volunteers board members

made spaghetti for the evening, and board member Dottie

Freeman was the lively mistress of ceremonies. The

fundraiser helps provide materials and scholarships for

students preparing for their GED exams and helps others

to improve their reading or English language skills.

About 50 people attended, including Southern

Regional Technical College President Dr. Craig

Wentworth and his wife, who each competed on teams.

The event raised $3,000.

During the event, Literacy Volunteers Executive

Director Bonnie Sayles read the proclamation signed by

Tifton Mayor Jamie Cater designating Literacy Day as

September 8. The Tifton Gazette also ran a letter to the

editor from Sayles about Literacy Week and Adult

Education Month and the importance of literacy to

workforce preparation.

Bonnie Sayles

Executive Director

BAKER COUNTY CLCP

BAKER COUNTY CLCP participated in an annual back to

school bash by distributing over 300 books to the

students in attendance. The bash, held on August 3, was

sponsored by Baker County Family Connection and

Wellcare of Georgia. Each year, the bash is held in

conjunction with the school’s open house. Over a dozen

vendors come to hand out supplies. Jessica Jennings,

Baker County CLCP Executive Director, stated that

“Children having books in their home is just as important

to school success as pencils and paper.”

Jessica Jennings

Executive Director

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(L–R) Marquita Traylor and Chelsea McGhee.

(L–R) Phyllis Dyche and Margie Adams.

CLCP Websites:

Athens-Clarke www.athensliteracy.org Baldwin County www.milledgeville.communitiesinschools.org Calhoun-Gordon County www.calhoungordonliteracy.org Catoosa County www.catoosacitizensforliteracy Cobb County www.cobbworks.org Columbus-Muscogee www.theliteracyalliance.org Coweta County www.clickcoweta.org DeKalb County www.dekalbcouncil.org Forsyth County www.literacyforsyth.org Habersham County www.vflhabersham.com Hall County www.allianceforliteracy.org Jackson County www.jacksoncountyclcp.org Lumpkin County www.lumpkinliteracy.org Macon County www.literacycouncilofmaconcounty.weebly.com Peach County www.peach-leap.org Sumter County www.learningforeveryone.org Tift County www.tiftlv.org Troup County www.troupclcp.org Winder-Barrow County www.adultliteracybarrow.org State CLCP website www.clcpga.org

COBBWORKS LITERACY COUNCIL

COBBWORKS LITERACY COUNCIL’S Dictionary Project 2015

is in full effect. The CLCP will share over 3,600

dictionaries with 15 Title I elementary schools and three

Title I middle schools. Looking ahead, the Council’s goal

for 2016 is to triple this effort through fundraising to

provide a greater reach to those most in need.

Judy Venable

Executive Director

GRIFFIN-SPALDING LITERACY COMMISSION

THE GRIFFIN-SPALDING Literacy Commission launched a

unique promotion in September. The MASTERING THE

GED: Friends and Family Challenge encouraged

community members to form teams and answer two sets

of GED test questions, which were released over a two-

week period. Teams who participated received GED test

vouchers, which could then be distributed to potential

GED students. The vouchers will cover the entire cost of

the GED test for qualifying students. Participating teams

also submitted team pictures to be featured on the

Literacy Commission’s Facebook page.

Terri Huddleston

Executive Director

UPSON READ

UPSON READ and the SCTC (Southern Crescent

Technical College) Upson County Adult Education

program promoted Adult Education at the 2015 Back to

School Bash on August 6 in Thomaston. There were over

400 in attendance.

UPSON READ participated in the 5th annual Thomaston-

Upson Chamber of Commerce Business Expo on

September 4 to promote Adult Education and inform the

public about what Upson READ does and what a CLCP

is.

David Koplan

Executive Director

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Letter Writing Campaign: 4,426 Letters

Lanier Technical College Adult Education Program

The Dawson, Forsyth, Gainesville-Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin,

and Winder-Barrow Certified Literate Community Programs

The Banks Adult Learning Center

Volunteer Hours: 7,436 hours

Bibb County CLCP — Bibb County DREAM Team

Volunteer Tutor Hours in a Multiple-County CLCP: 19,326 hours

Wiregrass South Regional CLCP

Volunteer Tutor Hours in a Single-County CLCP: 5,400 hours

Dodge County CLCP

GED Testing Fee Scholarships Awarded

in a Multiple-County CLCP: 399 scholarships

Southwest Regional CLCP

GED Testing Fee Scholarships Awarded

in a Single-County CLCP: 80 scholarships

Forsyth County CLCP — Literacy Forsyth

CLCP PROGRESS

The Fall CLCP meeting was held September 29 during the Office of Adult Education (OAE) Fall Conference. The invocation for the GED® awards luncheon was given by Rose Kohler (pictured right), recipient of the 2015 Barbara Loar Award for Excellence in a CLCP. 2015 Advocacy efforts in Georgia for the year 2015 were recognized at the OAE Fall Conference with 6 awards:

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NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2016 Barbara

Loar Award for Excellence in a

Certified Literate Community Program

are due by December 18. The award

will be announced at the 2016 March

CLCP retreat where the recipient of

the award will receive a check for

$1,000 for his/her CLCP.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2016 CLCP

Literacy Honor Roll are due by

January 29. The CLCP Literacy Honor

Roll is an opportunity to recognize

literacy champions in CLCP

communities. The 2016 CLCP Literacy

Honor Roll will be announced at the

2016 March retreat.

THE ANNUAL CLCP RETREAT is

scheduled for March 29–31 at

Callaway Gardens. Retreat

registration details will become

available in December.

CLCP lost a great friend

and colleague with the

passing of Peach County

CLCP Executive Director

Mildred Lindsey. Mildred

was a leader not only in

her own community but

also statewide, having

served as a CLCP

Professional Association

Board Member since

2009. She will be

missed.

CLCP CALENDAR

Family Literacy Party

Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Community…….....November 7

Winter CLCP Directors’ Meeting

Southwest Regional CLCP, Thomasville………………….December 10

Newsletter Submission deadlines

January……………………………………………………….December 11

April…………………………………………………………March 31, 2016

2016 Barbara Loar Award nomination deadline

………………………………………………………………...December 18

Calendar Year Annual Reports due

…………………………………………………………….January 22, 2016

Annual Literacy Ball

Winder-Barrow CLCP…………………………………..January 23, 2016

2016 CLCP Literacy Honor Roll nominations deadline

…………………………………………………………….January 29, 2016

2016 Trivia Bee

Coweta CLICK…………………………………………….March 22, 2016

CLCP Directors’ Annual Retreat

Callaway Gardens………………………………..…..March 29–31, 2016

EAGLE

…………………………………………………….. ….March 14–16, 2016

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Certified Literate Communities

Barrow County / Adult Literacy Barrow / Dr. Ron Saunders / 770-531-3363 Bibb County / DREAM Team / Sharon Cloud / 770-366-6474 Carroll County / Literacy Is For Today and Tomorrow (LIFT) / Alicia Michael / 770-214-9300 Cherokee County / Cherokee Education Enhancement Foundation (inactive) Clarke County / Athens-Clarke Literacy Council / Annice Ritter / 706-254-9877 Cobb County / Cobb Literacy Council / Judy Venable / 770-528-4867 Coweta County / Certified Literate is Coweta’s Key (CLICK) / Dianne McConnell / 678-423-2000 x339 Crisp County / Crisp County CLCP / Faith Collins / 229-273-1565 Decatur County / Decatur County CLCP / Debbie McIntyre / 229-248-2517 Dooly County / Dooly County CLCP / Bernetta Childs / 478-957-6340 Elbert County / Community Partnership of Elbert County (inactive) Fannin County / Fannin Literacy Action Group (FLAG) / Amanda Callihan / 706-946-3524 Forsyth County / Literacy Forsyth / Rebecca Eller / 770-876-2011 Gilmer County / Gilmer Learning Center / Dan Meadows / 706-276-1110 Gordon County / Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Community / Joni Thomas Harbin / 706-602-1370 Habersham County / Volunteers for Literacy of Habersham County / Joy Purcell / 706-776-4063 Hall County / Gainesville/Hall County Alliance for Literacy / Dorothy Shinafelt / 770-531-3358 Haralson County / Learning Always Means Progress (LAMP) / Betty Candler / 770-537-6059 Hart County / Nancy Hart Literacy Council / Betty Hulsey / 706-376-5534 Houston County / Houston County Joint Certified Literate Community Program / Brenda Brown / 478-218-3288 City of Keysville / Visions of Literacy (inactive) Lowndes County / Valdosta/Lowndes CLCP / Karil Brockington / 229-247-8100 Macon County / Literacy Council of Macon County / Spring Rosati / 478-472-2777 Monroe County / Monroe County Adult and Community Education (ACE) / Lisa Lee / 478-954-0714 Muscogee County / Columbus Literacy Alliance / Barbara Moushon / 706-748-2610 Newton County / Newton County Community Partnership / Laura Bertram / 770-786-0807 Peach County / Literacy Education for Adults in Peach (LEAP) / Mildred Lindsey / 478-825-9407 Pickens County / Pickens County CLCP / Amy Denney / 678-314-4077 Pulaski County / Hope, Education, Learning and Progress Network (HELPNetwork) / Vera Clark / 478-783-2918 Schley County / Schley County CLCP / Linda Adams / 229-937-5708 Southeastern (Montgomery/Tattnall/Toombs Counties) / Southeastern CLCP (inactive) Stephens County / Stephens Education Literacy Foundation (SELF) (inactive) Sumter County / Learning for Everyone…Avenue to Progress (LEAP) / Brittany Dawson / 229-924-9443 Taylor County / Taylor County Striving to Teach Adults to Reach for Success (STARS) / Alton Ford / 478-847-5168 x5168 Tift County / Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County / Bonnie Sayles / 229-391-2527 Washington County / Washington County Alliance for Literacy / 478-240-2092

Certified Literate Community Participants

Baldwin County / Baldwin County CLCP / Sandy Baxter / 478-452-3408 Catoosa County / Catoosa Citizens for Literacy / Shirley Smith / 706-965-8275 Chattooga County / Chattooga County Literacy Council / Rose Kohler / 706-734-2206 Clinch County / Clinch County CLCP / Jennifer Smith / 912-487-5799 Coastal Georgia / Coastal Georgia CLCP (inactive) Dawson County / Reading Education Association of Dawson (READ) / Sandra Lipkowitz / 706-579-1771 DeKalb County / DeKalb Council on Literacy / Lucie Johnson / 678-733-0887 Dodge County / Dodge County CLCP / Debbie Connell / 478-374-1997 Dougherty County / Dougherty County Literacy Council (inactive) Douglas County / Learning for Every Adult in Douglas (LEAD) (inactive) Early County / Early County Literacy Task Force / Gwen Houston / 229-723-5122 Floyd County / Rome/Floyd County Alliance for a Literate Workforce (inactive) Jackson County / Jackson County CLCP / Sandra Fite / 706-367-8574 Laurens County / Laurens County CLCP / Jackie Pittman Curtis / 478-277-4582 City of Lawrenceville / Lawrenceville Certified Literate Community Coalition (inactive) Lumpkin County / Lumpkin County Literacy Coalition / Julie Leibel / 706-867-9607 McDuffie County / McDuffie County Partners for Success / Miriam Smith / 706-595-3112 Pierce County / Pierce County CLCP / Stephanie Bell / 912-230-7835 Randolph County / Reading Educates And Delivers Success (READS) / Kuanita Murphy / 229-732-3796 Southwest Regional / Southwest Regional CLCP / Jessica Jennings / 229-522-3565 Spalding County / Griffin/Spalding Certified Literate Community Commission / Terri Huddleston / 770-228-0729 Terrell County / Reading Here Is Number One (RHINO) / Margaret Halbrook / 229-995-2011 Towns/Union / Towns Union Literacy Instills Pride (TULIP) (inactive) Troup County / Troup County CLCP / Debbie Burdette / 706-756-4645 Turner County / Turner County CLCP / Greg Millette / 229-567-3413 Upson County / Renewed Education and Adult Development (READ) / David Koplan / 706-601-5551 Walker County / Walker County Alliance for Literacy (inactive) Wayne County / Wayne Literacy Alliance / Margaret Jacobs / 912-427-5818 Whitfield County / Education is Essential Foundation (inactive) Wiregrass North / Wiregrass North CLCP / Alice B. Hobson / 229-468-2278 Wiregrass South / Wiregrass South CLCP / Judy Stewart / 229-468-2207

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