In five years, Mark Herman would be teaching music to children in a school if he could do anything he wanted.
“It’s the only job I feel like I’ve had where it doesn’t feel like work,” Herman, who teaches guitar and ukulele in between painting houses and attending Portland Community College to take writing classes, said.
Herman claimed that the freedom and expressiveness of music are what draw him to it. As a child, music was a huge comfort to me in many ways. And it would mean the world to me if I could touch someone else’s nerve and help them reach their full potential.
Herman is well-versed in obtaining assistance to reach one’s full potential. The Portland Literacy Council’s GED voucher program, which assists people pursuing a General Educational Development certification in lieu of a high school diploma, recently paid off for the 43-year-old resident of Northeast Portland. The cost of taking the GED is covered by the voucher program.
Through a number of initiatives, the Portland Literacy Council, a recipient of the 2024 Season of Sharing Christmas fundraising campaign, encourages adult literacy:
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The GED voucher program, which paid for 81 practice and official GED tests for 22 adult learners in 2023.
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A foundational literacy program, which teaches adults to read.
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A tutor training program, which trains more than 200 volunteer adult literacy tutors each year.
In addition to occasional tutor workshops, the council hosts an annual volunteer literacy tutor conference, the next of which is scheduled for March 22. Since experiencing trauma impacts how people learn, relate to others, or receive services, Lorie Wigle, executive director of the council, expressed her excitement at the addition of a course on trauma-informed methods. For example, some tutors may deal with individuals who have traumatic recollections of their schooling or who have left their native countries because of persecution or war.
> Contribute to the Season of Sharing general fund or the Portland Literacy Council. The code Season2024 can also be texted to 44-321.
With the help of its Season of Sharing funds, the Portland Literacy Council intends to increase the number of tutors it can hire, add more materials to its website for the 1,500 tutors it currently has on file, and extend its GED voucher program outside of the Portland region.
The council operates on a $56,000 budget, of which grants account for around half and donations and training fees for the other portion. Although the council has existed since 1993, it wasn’t until 2023 that it hired its first staff, Wigle, despite the fact that volunteers have been its lifeblood. Wigle works part-time, as do two other employees.
According to Wigle, the council collaborated closely with community colleges and the Multnomah County Library. Consider the GED voucher scheme. Many community colleges have GED navigators on staff, and they will refer students to us if they think they might need a little extra assistance, she added.
According to Wigle, assistance for official GED exams, practice exams, and test retakes can cost up to $250 per adult learner.
As someone completes the language arts, math, social studies, and science exams needed to earn a GED, assistance can also refer to moral support. Wigle stated, “I think it’s helpful just to have someone who’s keeping an eye on their progress, watching the scores, and so on.”
During his GED journey, Herman maintained communication with Peggy Murphy, one of the council’s nine volunteer board members.
I used to say, “Hey Peggy, I passed it,” whenever I took an exam and did well. Herman stated this. Murphy’s response would be, “I’m very happy for you.” It’s fantastic. You can continue. He claimed that her support kept him motivated and made the procedure simpler and more fun.
Herman claimed that the Portland Literacy Council greatly lessened his anxiety regarding the cost and time commitment of earning his GED by providing both moral and financial assistance.
He remarked that the day he received his certificate felt fantastic. Additionally, I wanted to capitalize on the momentum I believed I was displaying. I decided to continue attending school and wait to see what would happen.
I’m making a concerted effort to stay on course.
OregonLive/The Oregonian
What your donation can do
$50 will assist toward covering the cost of three volunteers’ attendance at a tutoring workshop.
One adult learner can obtain a GED certificate for $250.
$500: Provides funding for three tutors to provide instruction in basic literacy.
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