Literacy Coalition Announces New Leader for Literacy AmeriCorps Program
More AmeriCorps Members Being Recruited
UPDATED June 14, 2022
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla., May 18, 2022 – Lorie Graham has joined the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County as the new Literacy AmeriCorps Director. The Literacy Coalition coordinates the Literacy AmeriCorps program and recruits, trains and supervises up to 40 members annually. Literacy AmeriCorps members receive a stipend of $33,004 for contributing 1,700 hours of service in tutoring, mentoring and participating in meaningful community service projects.
Prior to joining the Coalition, Graham spent 8 years teaching secondary level English for the School District of Palm Beach County. She also has experience in the nonprofit sector. After graduating from The University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations, Graham worked for Catholic Life Insurance as a senior communications specialist and then joined The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach as a marketing and Public Relations senior associate. In addition to her diverse professional background, Graham holds professional certifications in the areas of change management, project management essentials and corporate training.
“We’re excited that Lorie has joined our team,” said Kristin Calder, CEO of the Literacy Coalition. “Her wealth of varied experience in education, nonprofit management and communications makes her the perfect fit for this job.”
In her new role with the Coalition, Graham’s immediate focus is on recruiting more Literacy AmeriCorps members. These recruits work 35-42 hours a week providing vital services to help ensure students and adults in Palm Beach County succeed in school and life. Literacy AmeriCorps opportunities include:
- Serving as high school graduation coaches for students at risk of dropping out;
- Tutoring elementary school students who are behind grade-level reading;
- Teaching adults at family literacy centers;
- Instructing English education programs; and
- Tutoring at library programs serving adults and children.
Literacy AmeriCorps members participate in ongoing training and professional development throughout the service year. These opportunities include service leadership, team building, tutor training, career assessment and planning, diversity training, disaster preparedness, community service project planning, and more.
Members are also eligible for health insurance, forbearance of qualified student loans, 4 weeks of personal time off, and an education award of up to $6,495 after successfully completing the AmeriCorps program.
To learn more about the Literacy AmeriCorps program, please visit /literacy-impact/literacy-americorps/ .
To apply for the Literacy AmeriCorps program, click here: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=8028
About the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
A recipient of the coveted 4-star Charity Navigator rating for 13 consecutive years, the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County works to improve the quality of life in our community by promoting and achieving literacy. In Palm Beach County, 22% of adults age16 and older lack basic literacy skills and can’t fill out a job application or read a bus schedule and nearly half of all third-graders are not reading on grade level. Through extensive outreach and collaboration with a network of community partners, the Literacy Coalition strives to ensure that individuals who need to improve their literacy skills receive the help they need. By providing services to 46,867 adults, children and families each year, the Literacy Coalition’s goal is for every child and every adult in Palm Beach County to be able to read.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
Kristin Calder, CEO
561-635-8423
KCalder@LiteracyPBC.org
