BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Each month, “WBZ Cares” highlights a worthy non-profit organization and tells the story of what that organization does for the community. This month WBZ is profiling First Literacy in Boston, ensuring adults with low-literacy or limited English proficiency have high-quality educational opportunities that enable them to thrive.
First Literacy Executive Director Skye Kramer says one of their main goals is to train teachers, tutors, and program administrators who teach students English.
“We really do focus our efforts on making sure that the adult educators themselves have the tools, the resources, the knowledge that they need in order to be the best teachers that they can be,” stated Kramer.
Director of Professional Development Lenore Balliro talks about the need for the services First Literacy offers.
“You know, immigrants that come here need both the spoken language, they need to improve their English speaking skills but they also need to be able to read basic things to survive; their prescription labels, their note from their child’s teacher at school, their, you know, signs, reading a bus schedule, all of those things,” Balliro said.
Kramer says more people need help with developing and improving their English skills than you might think.
“It’s an underserved need. People just really don’t understand how many people among us are struggling with the English language, or if they’re born in this country and for whatever reason failed by the education system or made poor choices early in life and have come to realize how important education is, you just don’t see them in our community,” Kramer concluded.
WBZ NewsRadio1030's Doug Cope Reports