May 22, 2014, Thursday - Minnesota Literacy Council Annual Journeys Reading and Awards Ceremony at The Loft

Time: 6:00pm

Location: The Loft at Open Book (Performance Hall), 1011 Washington Ave S

Minnesota Literacy Council Annual Journeys Reading and Awards Ceremony

The Minnesota Literacy Council and Loft Literary Center are hosting a celebration of adult literacy and the many students who have overcome many barriers, including language and culture, to reach their educational goals.

The evening will begin with a ceremony where adult literacy students, volunteers, and community partners will receive awards recognizing their outstanding achievements. It also will feature student readings, where adult literacy learners will share their original stories and poems. Several of the readers are authors featured in Journeys, An Anthology of Adult Student Writing. All of them are adult literacy students enrolled in English as a Second Language, GED, reading, and other basic skills classes across the state. They demonstrate inspiring courage by choosing to improve their lives through education and by sharing their experiences at this event.

6 p.m. Awards Ceremony—Members of the literacy community, including learners and volunteers, will receive awards recognizing their accomplishments.

7 p.m. Student Readings— Adult learners will read their original stories and poems.

8 p.m. Reception—View student artwork and enjoy refreshments.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. To ensure seating is available for everyone, pre-registration is required. Visit http://www.mnliteracy.org/readingandawardsregistration to register.

Journeys is an annual publication by the Minnesota Literacy Council that includes stories of hope, loss, and struggle, alongside poignant reflections of everyday life written by Minnesotans whose voices are rarely heard. Some are written by immigrants or refugees writing in their second or third language, while others are sharing their writing for the first time after years of frustration and anxiety attributed to low literacy skills. The book will be available at the event and online at www.mnliteracy.org.