Community Learning Plaza is a program of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District in partnership with Literacy Connections. The purpose of the program is to improve literacy for the Hispanic population in Poughkeepsie, NY (about 2 miles by car or train from NYC). This program is supported by funds from the NYS Library's Adult Literacy Library Services grant program.

1. Community Learning Plaza – Plaza de Aprendizaje
LOGO Poughkeepsie Public Library District & LOGO
Literacy Connections
Introduction Language Literacy - ESL Computer Literacy
Monday nights are hopping at Adriance Memorial Library, main The library assistant teaches computer skills to
The Community Learning Plaza (CLP) in branch of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District (PPLD). At Spanish-speaking adults.
6:00 the meeting room and any other available nook & cranny is
partnership with Literacy Connections:
filled with tutors and students learning to speak and write
•Supported by funds from the New York State English. Some students bring their young children to the library
Library’s Adult Literacy Services grant program too. Computer Labs
from July 2011 to June 2013
•Serves the literacy needs of Poughkeepsie’s Learning English On Tuesday nights people come to computer lab to learn
• An average of 25 students per week take advantage of this
Spanish-speaking people by new skills, practice and become comfortable using
opportunity to learn English computers. They can get help with tasks like filling out
 Increasing use of library services • Literacy Connections’ Program manager tests the students and online forms and job applications.
 Increasing self-sufficiency and job- places them with one of five volunteer tutors. She also tracks
readiness progress with “post-tests.”
• Library assistant provides support in Spanish, makes sure
 Strengthening ties to the community
everyone understands where to go and helps students sign up for
•Strengthens PPLD’s role as an effective library cards.
literacy provider working in partnership with
other literacy providers in the community Childcare
• Literacy Connections provides an adult to take care of students’
children in the library’s Children’s Room.
• NYS grant allows funds for an additional teen sitter and
Collaboration, collaboration, educational materials for the children on Monday evenings
collaboration!
We can’t do it alone! CLP is the sum of several parts – Computer Classes
•The name for our project, Community Learning
On Wednesday nights students can sign up for classes to
Plaza, is borrowed from Denver Public Library. The learn PC Basics, Basic Internet, Keyboarding, and How
inspiration for this program was a description of to Open an Email account.
Denver’s “Community Learning Plaza” on Web
Junction.
•The NYS Adult Literacy grant funds a position for a
bilingual library assistant
Community Literacy
•REFORMA has been a tremendous source of
information and support Discussion
PPLD strives to become the place where Latinos come for
•Literacy Connections, our partner, provides ESL information. On certain “Special Mondays” we bring speakers to
Attendance at our ESL and computer classes has far
Classes talk to participants about community resources. We continually
exceeded our expectations. Key to this success has been
reach out to the community to involve more people.
the cooperation between the library board,
•Our federal Broadband Technology Opportunity administration, and staff, along with the support of
Program (B.T.O.P.) helped with technology training. Bilingual speaker presentations:
various community agencies. People understand and
trust our project’s library assistant (she has directly
• Access to health care
helped at least 15 people sign up for new library cards
Some of the other community organizations who have • Workers’ rights and safety
since October 2011) and she has made the Latino
helped us: • Helping children to succeed in school
community feel comfortable in the library. We are making
• Personal Finance
our Spanish language collection more relevant by
16.Dutchess County B.O.C.E.S. • Immigration Law
informally polling program participants about their
17.Somos La Llave del Futuro • Migratory mourning
preferences.
18.Asociación para Hispanos para Obtener Recursos
y Asistencia (A.H.O.R.A.) Outreach
Flexibility has been so important. For example, our
19.Bringing Agencies Together (B.A.T.) original plan to hold speaker sessions on Sunday
20.Immigrant Health Initiative (Dutchess County) • Visits to local Latino businesses
afternoons didn’t work out, so we brought the speakers to
21.Worker Justice Center of NY • Speak & post information at local churches
the ESL classes on Mondays.
22.City of Poughkeepsie Schools •Attend meetings with other community agencies
23.Ulster Savings Bank • Press releases to local newspapers, Spanish language radio
As the first year of our project comes to a close, we look
24.Robert Fuchs, Immigration Attorney • Distribute flyers and posters both inside the library and in the
forward to serving our Latino community in the second
25.Humanamente community
year and beyond.
26.La Voz •Advertise in our own library newsletter and calendar, both in print
and online