The Woodward News

Local News

December 30, 2012

Literacy Council looking for members, donations

Chris Cooper Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — The Northwest Oklahoma Literacy Council (NWOLC) is currently accepting applications from individuals and businesses interested in becoming literacy council members.

NWOLC Program Coordinator Jan Case-Wills said, "According to the latest  Census nearly 24 percent of people within Woodward City limits do not have high school diplomas. That's ridiculously high."

Case-Wills believes part of the reason behind this rate has to due with the availability of jobs in Woodward, making the area tantalizing to those without high school diplomas.

"Because our economy is thriving so much in Northwest Oklahoma if you want a job, you can find work," she said.

While this may be beneficial to certain industries that don't require employees to have a high school diploma, it can sometimes make it difficult for businesses that do require a diploma to fill positions.  

Case-Wills said immigrants may also contribute to the low high school diploma attainment rate as they grow up in areas where they are unable to attend school, then move to Woodward for work or other various reasons.

The Northwest Oklahoma Literacy Council is working to reduce the number of people without high school diplomas by offering programs to help persons attain their GEDs as well as providing assistance with building basic literacy skills and courses in English as a Second Language.

"Some people just need assistance or training. If we could just communicate, we could pull a lot of people out of indigent status, because there's jobs out there, and they're interested, they just don't speak or read the language," Case-Wills said.

However, in order to offer its tutoring programs, the literacy council needs help from the community.

The easiest way to help is by becoming members of NWOLC and showing your support for its efforts to combat illiteracy.

"Your membership dues and donations purchase curriculum, evaluation assessments, and instructional classes to those in need of serves," Case-Wills said.

She went on to describe the current curriculum and how donations will be used to improve it.

"Because of financial constraints, our curriculum is currently outdated," she said. "We still use VHS tapes, it's ridiculous. We have to use dry erase boards because we can't afford paper. With donations we're hoping to be able to invest in Spanish to English dictionaries, picture dictionaries, and workbooks."

When asked why people should contribute to NWOLC, Case-Wills said, "While there are other very needed and worthwhile nonprofit organizations out there, other organizations tend to help a select few, while the NWOLC impacts the entire community. If everyone within the Woodward city limits could read and speak English, it would impact doctors' offices, businesses looking for employees, not to mention every single school."

Case-Wills went on to list the benefits of becoming a NWOLC member.

"Members will receive quarterly newsletters every year. We're considering including a section dedicated to showing how members' donations are helping the lives of individual students. Also members will be invited to our annual NWOLC banquet," she said.

Case-Wills encourages people interested in becoming members to come by the library and see the NWOLC facilities between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Those interested in more information about the organization can visit the group's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NWOKLC or contact Jan Case-Wills by e-mail at nwoklitcouncil@woodward.lib.ok.us or by phone at (580) 254-8582.

Text Only
Local News
  • Busy holiday at Crystal Beach Park

    Local and area families are invited to celebrate Memorial Day weekend at Crystal Beach Park.

    May 24, 2013

  • Area lakes, parks expect large crowds for weekend

    The recent cloudy and rainy weather in the northwestern part of the state may have some wondering when summer will ever come, but it has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of state park and lake goers this holiday weekend.

    May 24, 2013

  • More state residents expected on the roads

    A week ago, Amber Boelman of Woodward didn't have any Memorial Day travel plans. But now she does.

    May 24, 2013

  • More than just a car show

    This weekend's Woodward Car Show is not just a car show.
    That's because the event also includes a cruise in, burnout contest, poker run, poker walk, kids games, silent auction, and prize drawings.

    May 23, 2013

  • Additional ways to assist tornado victims

    Several organizations across Northwest Oklahoma continue to collect donations to send to assist the victims and survivors of the tornadic storms that ripped through central Oklahoma on Sunday and Monday.

    May 23, 2013

  • Tornado damage may hit $2 billion

    MOORE, Okla. (AP) — The tornado that struck an Oklahoma City suburb this week may have created $2 billion or more in damage as it tore through as many as 13,000 homes, multiple schools and a hospital, officials said Wednesday as they gave the first detailed account of the devastation.

    May 23, 2013

  • Ways to help tornado victims

    After donations of all kinds came flooding into Woodward a year ago following the April 15 tornado, it seems that local and area organizations are eager to pay it forward and show the same support to our fellow Oklahomans now suffering in Shawnee, Carney, Moore and south Oklahoma City.

    May 22, 2013

  • Area woman injured in wreck

    One-vehicle accident happened east of Mutual on Tuesday morning.

    May 22, 2013

  • Hospital hosting emergency preparedness meeting

    Various healthcare agencies across Northwest Oklahoma will meet in Woodward Thursday for a conference designed to help them advance their emergency preparedness efforts.

    May 22, 2013

  • EMS strike team.jpg Woodward County EMS helping with tornado response

    Woodward County EMS has joined in the response efforts to the devastation following the deadly EF-5 tornado in Central Oklahoma.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo