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Monterey County United for Literacy:
AmeriCorps
Although Monterey County is known as a tourist destination on the Central Coast and the national image of the area is one of wealth and beauty; illiteracy, hunger, poverty, and high unemployment exist. Census 2014 found that 17% of the people in the county are living in poverty. The school districts AmeriCorps members serve have a student population that is mainly Latino (93%) and over 95% of students served qualify for the National School Lunch Program. Many of the schools are in rural areas amidst acres of agricultural land and students come from migrant families, who have difficult lives, posing additional obstacles for students to overcome.
Only 32% of 3rd graders in Monterery County read on grade level, which is a major predictor of high school graduation and academic success over one's lifetime. Literacy. or the lack thereof, is directly linked to poverty, unemployment, and incarceration.
Recognizing the critical need for students to understand and utilize vast amounts of new information and vocabulary, the mission of the AmeriCorps, Monterey County United for Literacy program is to enable Monterey County children to read well and independently by the end of the third grade so they can read to learn in the fourth grade and beyond. The doors to achievement will be open to children if they are able to read, enjoy reading, and are well prepared for the academic rigor that begins at fourth grade. Students who are not successful readers and who do not read independently by the end of third grade experience significantly lower rates of academic success, increased dropout rates, and tend to exhibit other at-risk behaviors.
Our AmeriCorps team of literacy tutors, supported by the districts, schools, and teachers, are part of the support team to help each struggling reader improve. We hope as a team to impact the statistics of literacy rates in the county, and as individuals to impact the future of each child we support.
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