The LCSW Nominations Committee is currently seeking out nominations for the LCSW 2012 Spirit Award and Community Service Awards. Nomination forms can be downloaded from links below and the deadline is September 8, 2012 at 5 p.m. Nominations must be submitted electronically to tweber@milwaukeeachiever.org and award recipients must be able to attend LCSW’s Annual Meeting set for Friday, October 12, 2012.

• LCSW Spirit Award (PDF)
• LCSW Community Service Award (PDF)

In a time when resources for adult education are tight, volunteers must advocate more than ever. Below are some free tips that take almost no time.

1. Bring up adult literacy in conversations with your neighbors, partners in the gym, or your tax preparer. What cause are you known for? Some easy to remember talking points:
   Prevention is cheaper than healthcare treatment.
   To educate is cheaper than to incarcerate.
2. Carry your blue LCSW tote bag to the store or farmers market. If you have been to an LCSW event in the last several years, you probably have one. Create a buzz and get our name out in the community.
3. Loan your LCSW pen to someone not typically affiliated with literacy. I know the pens from our conferences are awesome and write really well, but pass it on with hopes that someone not familiar with our cause will end up with it.
4. Forward this newsletter to someone you know – a pastor, a speaker for social justice, or your uncle.
5. Invite a non-literacy organization to get involved in a project. The Black Student Union from MATC assembled our annual appeal mailing at one of their meetings. Do you know a group that could get involved? Girl scouts, a confirmation class, or a dorm service organization.
6. Thank the associate at Half-Priced Books for keeping a jar out for LCSW donations. Mention that you are affiliated with the organization and that you appreciate their support. Not only will it make the store feel appreciated, you never know who is listening.

Make yourself known for the cause of literacy!

The LCSW Scholarship for Higher Education offers scholarship awards through its General Scholarship Fund, the Anne Marie Pawelke Scholarship Fund and the Nancy Fink Endowment Scholarship Fund. Scholarships of $500 will be awarded to GED/HSED graduates who plan to attend a program of study at a postsecondary institution. Please click on link below for more information and application form.

• LCSW Scholarship Application (PDF)

Application dateline is Friday, May 3, 2013 (postmarked). Please call (414) 297-6817 if you have any questions.

New Name – New Look – New Reality

LCSW is covering new territory – in more ways than one.

As of July 1, our name changed from the Greater Milwaukee Literacy Coalition to the Literacy Coalition of Southeastern Wisconsin. Our new name reflects the growing reality that to effectively meet the rising demand for literacy education, agencies all over southeastern Wisconsin must work together to strengthen their efforts to overcome illiteracy.

Illiteracy is not just an educational issue; it is an economic, health, employment and societal issue. By sharing knowledge, referrals, and advocacy efforts, LCSW is working to create a strong network of literacy providers to overcome the negative impact of

“The reality is that literacy providers in all the counties surrounding Milwaukee share similar issues and resources,” said Tracy Loken Weber, LCSW president. “To have an impact, our effort must go beyond Milwaukee alone. We want every agency to know that we are ready and willing to collaborate.”

We picked up the pace at our regular membership meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2009, by holding an interactive evening of “Speed Networking,” loosely based on the concept of “Speed Dating.” Our members had four minutes to share one-on-one information about their organization and its mission before they rotated to the next contact.

Business cards were flying from one member to another as we sampled wine and cheese while discussing the latest updates on adult literacy advocacy, programming and funding. Our meeting was held at the new location of the Adult Learning Center, 1916 N. 4th Street. If you’d like to attend the next LCSW event, check out our list of upcoming events shown on the left side of our Home Page.