Project VITAL pairs volunteer tutors with adults seeking to improve their literacy skills. It has become part of Sauk Valley Community College's adult education program to better serve students. Coordinator Kathleen Hughes hopes to provide more instructional hours through classroom learning and one-on-one tutoring. Last year, over 180 students were served through Project VITAL and over 300 through adult education. The goal is to increase student services and instructional hours to help students improve their literacy skills.

1. Page 2 SV Sunday Extra Sauk Valley Media • October 16, 2011
Sunday feature | project vital
Making a VITAL link between efforts
Literacy program now a part of Sauk Valley Community College’s Adult Education
BY KIRaN SOOD
ksood@saukvalley.com To take part
800-798-4085, ext. 529 To volunteer to be a
DIXON – The coordi- part of Project VITAL,
nator of Project VITAL call 815-835-6241 or
hopes to help educate email vital@svcc.edu.
adult students in a new There are periodic
way as the program training workshops for
becomes part of Sauk new tutors.
Valley Community Col- For more informa-
lege’s Adult Education tion or to join an Adult
department. Education course, visit
Project VITAL, which www.svcc.edu or call
stands for Volunteers in 815-835-6312.
Teaching Adults Literacy,
pairs volunteer tutors student we had over the
with adults who want to summer. He was attend-
improve their reading and ing Adult Education
writing skills. Kathleen classes, but he was also
Hughes, who has been the getting tutored.”
Adult Education coordina- The student came in
tor for the past 10 months, with a 2.6 grade level and
now serves as coordinator in just 48 hours – from
of both programs. classroom instruction
Zully Vock recently and working with tutors
resigned as Project VITAL – he improved to a 5.8
coordinator, but still is a grade level, she said.
volunteer tutor. Hughes said other col-
Project VITAL will con- leges that have literacy
tinue to pair volunteer programs and adult edu-
tutors with students for cation programs are
one-on-one sessions. In “becoming one adult Photos by alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
addition, Adult Education education department.” Project VITaL instructor Nestor Chirinos teaches a small group of native Spanish speakers how to structure
instructors are working It takes 100 hours of sentences in english on Thursday morning at St. Mary’s Parish in Sterling. Project VITaL pairs volunteer
closely with VITAL tutors instruction for a student tutors like Chirinos with adults who want to improve their reading and writing skills. Project VITaL recently
to provide assistance for to go up one reading
became part of Sauk Valley Community College’s adult education department.
students at all levels. grade level.
Hughes said the idea is “So we thought, we’ve
to “utilize the volunteers got to give these stu-
in the adult education dents more instructional
classes.” hours,” she said. “By
Students entering Proj- doing this, they are going
ect VITAL can choose to get the instructional
to receive one-on-one hours in the classroom,
attention or be a part of a but they’re also going to
group learning structure. get those one-on-one or
A student entering an small group tutoring.”
Adult Education class at Nestor Chirinos is a vol-
a lower level likely will unteer tutor for Project
work with a VITAL tutor VITAL. On Thursday morn-
to improve their skills, ing at St. Mary’s Parish in
she said. Sterling, he was teaching a
“We are really just small group of native Span-
Maria arellano smiles after reading in english, a skill
trying to service more ish speakers how to struc-
she is honing by taking classes twice a week at St. Rosendo Solis of Sterling talks about his experiences
students,” Hughes said. ture sentences.
Mary’s Parish in Sterling. She hopes a better com- in the Project VITaL english language class. Solis, 61,
“A good example was a VITaL continued on 34 mand of the english language will help her find a job. wants to earn his geD.

2. October 16, 2011 • Sauk Valley Media SV Sunday Extra Page 3
Sunday feature | project vital
Project VITAL served 180 last year
VITaL his GED. what’s so critical.”
CONTINUED fROM 2
Solis, originally of Gua- Hughes has a history
dalajara, Mexico, said he of providing community
t
never had the opportu- service in the Sauk Valley.
He said teaching adult nity to earn his degree. Before becoming
learners is different from “As soon as I came over coordinator of both
teaching younger ones. here, I started work,” he programs, she served
“You certainly can teach said. “So I’ve been work- as director of Home of
an old dog new tricks by ing straight 32 and a half Hope for 5 years. She has
understanding the cogni- years.” been married to Tom for
tive and social character- There are only two 24 years in November.
istics of adult learners,” requirements to enroll They have three daugh-
he said. in an Adult Education ters: Ellen, 20, a student
One of the students in course or to receive at Carthage College;
the session on Thursday tutoring – be at least 17 Bridget, 18, a student at
was Maria Arellano, 39, years old and live in the University of Wisconsin-
a native Spanish speaker Sauk Valley. Platteville, and Shannon,
who wants to better Last year, Adult Educa- 17, a senior at Newman
understand English. tion served more than Central Catholic High
She attends classes 300 students; VITAL pro- School.
twice a week at St. Mary’s vided services to 180. Hughes has a degree in
and hopes learning Eng- “We want to see that elementary education
lish will allow her to get increase, and more from the University of
a job. importantly, we would Wisconsin-Platteville. Kiran Sood/ksood@saukvalley.com
Rosendo Solis, 61, is in like to see the instruc- She hopes to sometime Kathleen Hughes now serves as coordinator of both Project VITaL and Sauk Val-
the class for a different tional hours increase,” earn her master’s in adult ley Community College’s adult education program. She previously served for 5
reason. He wants to earn Hughes said. “That is education. years as director of Home of Hope Cancer Wellness Center in Dixon.
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