|
Creating Communities of Readers |
|
“Sharing Our Past — Shaping Our Future” Since 1974 |
|
Barre is Vermont’s third largest city. Located in central Vermont, its history is literally built in granite. Historically it is a diverse community with immigrants from Italy, Scotland, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Greece, Lebanon, and Quebec. Over recent years, the community has welcomed people from China, Mexico, Bosnia, Kosovo, Congo, Togo, and Armenia. Barre City and Barre Town will act as one community for the grant since they share many community resources, including a high school and library. Together, their population is nearly 17,000.
“Ethnic and cultural diversity enriches the Barre community and offers opportunities for learning and celebration, as well as challenges,” notes Central Vermont Adult Basic Education tutor and CCR Project Director Jan Steinbauer. “Our CCR goal of building community through literacy events and activities includes building a better sense of community among long-time and newer residents, which may include addressing issues such as racism and prejudice.”
The sponsoring group for the CCR grant is the Barre Learning for Life Committee. Their objectives include: increasing the presence of literacy as part of community-wide events, increasing K-8 summer reading, developing teen participation as literate contributors to Barre, and increasing literacy activities at Barre playgroups.
Barre began their grant year in November, 2003 with a Community Learning for Life Festival. Among the activities they have hosted is a Barre Writing Contest for all ages, a cultural history series at the Aldrich Public Library, a community-wide book read, and author readings. Additionally, the group has added a literacy component to existing events such as the Barre Granite Museum Fall Festival.
The partners in the program are numerous, including: Central Vermont Adult Basic Education, the Aldrich Public Library, Vermont Historical Society, Barre City and Town schools, Success by Six, Altrusa, Head Start, RSVP, Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, Central Vermont Early Childhood Council, Onion River Arts Council, Barre Housing Authority, Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, Barre Danforth Committee, Everybody Wins! Vermont, Vermont Granite Museum of Barre, First Presbyterian Church, New Directions of Barre, Barre Books, and Video Vision Productions. Local author Katherine Paterson will also be involved.
For more information about Barre’s CCR program, contact Jan Steinbauer at Central Vermont Adult Basic Education at (802) 476-4588.
|
|
Office in Montpelier
11 Loomis Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 802.262.2626 Fax: 802.262.2620 E-mail: info@vermonthumanities.org |
