Appreciating Community Presenters

One of the things that the PVLA takes pride in is being able to connect students to the Columbus community and vice versa.

One way that is accomplished is by having community presenters come to different classes and talk about what their organizations have to offer. Classes that have been visited include the Integration class that meets on Saturday, the Introductory ESL class that meets on Tuesday morning, the Integration and Introductory ESL class that meets on Thursday evening, and Family Learning.

Some of the community members that have presented include the Platte County Sherriff’s Department, East Central Health District/Good Neighbor Health, nutritionists from the hospital, directors of the Columbus Field House, immigration consultants from Centro Hispano, and others.

Having an integrated and informed community is essential to social wellbeing. We deeply appreciate those organizations and individuals who have spoken to our classes, and we look forward to working with others to ensure these connections continue.

A Reminder of What the PVLA Does

We are a couple of months into 2025, so now is a good time to remind everyone what the PVLA does.

The Platte Valley Literacy Association (PVLA) has been proudly serving the Columbus, Nebraska, area for several decades as a United Way Agency. Our goal is to meet the educational needs of individuals in our community. We partner with the Central Community College Adult Education program to further increase educational opportunities in the area and help students gain the necessary skills to be successful in life.

The PVLA evolved from a group of volunteer tutors in the early 1980s. As the director of the Columbus Public Library, Robert Trautwein was instrumental in responding to the need for more reading tutors. Mr. Trautwein wrote many grants that initiated programs that are still flourishing today. Many passionate individuals have shaped our organization into what it is now.

In 1990, the Platte Valley Literacy Association was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit. As the years have gone by, the PVLA has adapted in order to provide valuable services that address the current needs of community members.

Classes currently offered by the PVLA include the following:

• Introductory ESL
• Citizenship
• Conversational English
• Book Club
• Integration
• Introductory ESL and Integration  
• One-on-one employment skills training