The Mixtec Advisory Committee 2011 is seeking volunteers for its new community-wide literacy effort.
“Many Mixtec adults were unable to complete significant schooling as children, and many are unable to write their names, addresses or basic information,” Margaret Sawyer, executive director of the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, stated in a media release. “The committee would like to invite you to be a basic literacy tutor with us,” she said. “Instead of having an informational speaker at our upcoming monthly meetings, we are organizing a large group of tutors to teach adults to write their names and addresses. Each tutor will be assigned a group of four-five Mixtec adults. Every adult will receive a notebook (donated from Loaves and Fishes–thank you!) and a pen, and the tutor will help them practice writing in their notebook. Some tutors will help teach a few words in English to Mixtecs who already know how to read and write.”
The goal of the program is to challenge the idea that an adult is is too old to learn to read and write, to increase self-sufficiency for the individuals who typically rely on others to write their information for them and to whet people’s appitites for more, MICOP reported.
“We are growing our literacy program and are constantly seeking more long-term tutors, students and funding,” Sawyer said.
Tutors can volunteer from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 26 and March 26 at Harrington Elementary School, 2501 Gisler St., Oxnard. For more information, call 805.483.1166 or send an e-mail to mixtecoproject@yahoo.com