Enriching Community through Computers, Conversation, and Citizenship

In May, 2007, the Patchogue-Medford Library was awarded a 2-year $27,800 Adult Literacy Services grant from the New York State Library.  We partnered  with the P-M School District and Literacy Suffolk, Inc. in order to provide 3 areas of service:

Weekly citizenship preparation classes

Weekly bilingual computer classes, and 

An expansion of our conversational English group from 1 to 2 days per week.

We are just finishing year 1 of the grant, and we’d like to share with you some statistics from the past year.

A total of 900 students attended classes from September, 2007 to June, 2008. 

436 attended citizenship classes,   276 participated in the bilingual computer classes  and 195 students attended conversational English classes.   A total of  25 out of 25 eligible students have passed their naturalization exams and are now United States citizens.

On June 18^th, the library held an End-of-Year celebration for the Enriching Community Grant.  Attendees included participants, instructors, partners, Judy Gibbard, Library Director, Paul Pontieri, Mayor of Patchogue Village, Isabel Sepulveda, Publisher, Voz Latina, and representation from the Suffolk Cooperative Library System.  We gathered together that evening to highlight the accomplishments of the adult students who have worked so hard this past year, who set and completed personal and group goals, and who have  enriched the library and the community  with their consistent  participation and determination to succeed.  Congratulations, all!