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Mensa encourages its members who are concerned about the lack of literacy skills throughout every segment of society to become involved in the existing programs in their communities. The programs are as varied and different as our members' individual interests. Areas include adult literacy, family literacy, children at risk, English as a second language (ESL), GED training, prison literacy, workplace literacy, classroom tutoring, Rolling Readers, Reading is Fundamental (RIF), Ready-Set-Read and the First Book Project. Over the last two and a half years, Mensa has helped its members with 12 programs in seven states.
However, it is important to know what the Mensa Literacy Project is not. Mensa is not a literacy program operator. It is neither in our best interest, nor that of the communities in which we live, to reinvent the wheel. The programs are out there; we merely need to offer them our help.
We ask our members to align themselves with an existing program and offer to help. Libraries in almost every city, large and small, have programs that need help. Schools from pre-K up to and through the college level offer reading enhancement volunteer opportunities. Local bookstores also often work within the community to promote literacy skills - after all, people who can't read do not buy books.
Next, we ask our members to choose a method of involvement. Do they want to be financially supportive? Read to children in a classroom or library setting? Tutor adult learners in a one-on-one situation? Collect and distribute books for under-funded school libraries? Join the local literacy speaker's bureau and get the word out to the community? The opportunities are almost endless, limited only by their interests and the amount of time they want to devote to this type of work.
Third, Mensa has modest amounts of funding available to help members help the literacy programs with which they are personally involved. Members can contact the national literacy coordinator with specific projects. |
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