PVLA Receives $5,000 Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to Support Family Literacy

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) recently awarded the Platte Valley Literacy Association (PVLA) a $5,000 grant to support family literacy. The funds are a part of a record-setting, one-day donation in the Foundation’s history of more than $13.2 million to support adult, family, and summer literacy programs in the 48 states in which Dollar General operates.

“The Platte Valley Literacy Association is so thankful to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for their support of our Family Learning program,” says Jessica Wiig, executive director of the PVLA. “This grant ensures we have what we need to ensure our students are successful in the classroom and beyond.”

The Family Learning program started in September of 2023 as a pilot at Emerson Elementary. The program was created through a partnership between the PVLA, Central Community College (CCC) Adult Education and Columbus Public Schools (CPS). The purpose of the program is to give non-English-speaking parents the opportunity to be more involved with their child’s education while learning English. The ability to speak English provides confidence in helping their child(ren) with homework, interacting within the local community and supports employment success.

In addition, the partnership with the PVLA exposes adult students in the Family Learning program to numerous organizations and services in the community. Class time is set aside for community presentations, which have included the Columbus Police Department, Center for Survivors, the Department of Labor, and Columbus Area United Way, among others.

“For over 30 years, the Foundation has been investing in literacy and basic education programs in our hometown communities,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “Today’s grant announcement is a celebration of our unwavering commitment to student and teacher success. We are grateful to all the grant recipients for their commitment to advancing education and helping students thrive.”

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. 

The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.

The Foundation also plans to launch its sixth annual The Yellow Glasses Project campaign on July 21, 2025, in which customers can purchase yellow sunglasses at Dollar General stores for $2 each to benefit the DGLF.

About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $271 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 23 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides financial support to schools, nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of Dollar General stores and distribution centers. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation or apply for a literacy grant, visit www.dgliteracy.org.

The End of the Family Learning School Year

The Family Learning school year came to a close last week, and it was an incredibly successful two semesters. For some insight into how the program went, please read the following words from Lana (Family Learning instructor) and enjoy the pictures!

"If I were to summarize our year of Family Literacy in Columbus in one word, it would be community. It takes visitors only a few moments to see a strong community within our classroom walls!

The students feel comfortable enough to ask each other questions about our school system and procedures, language learning, or life in Columbus. As the first year of our Family Literacy program in Columbus comes to a close, students are already anticipating the start of classes in the Fall!

I am too.

Highlights:

*Our strong classroom community is apparent with the amount of laughter that occurs while learning a new language. Students also ask about each other when classmates are absent. Many friendships have been forged this year, and it’s apparent that students enjoy spending time together. Recently, a student wanted to learn to make lasagna, so several students got together outside of class to learn to make lasagna and eat together.

*Some students wanted to read more to build their vocabulary. We started reading Gulliver’s Travels in class this semester and finished reading the book this week! After reading Gulliver’s Travels, students shared summaries of the story and discussed whether Gulliver should return to the sea for more adventures or stay home with his family.

One student said she enjoyed the book because Gulliver had to learn a new language just like her. The students enjoyed reading, writing, and discussing a book together in class and are driven to continue learning through reading together.

*This year, we had the opportunity to meet our Superintendent, Elementary Principals, and Classroom teachers. Our families thoroughly enjoyed meeting with the school personnel, and our conversations helped build community and connection with our school personnel. The parents grew in their ability and confidence to communicate with their child’s teachers and other staff who work with their child.

*There are countless resources available to families in Columbus, and it’s easy for many to go unused! Many students noted they would like to learn how to create healthier meals. This spring, we tapped into some of our community resources and invited a couple of dietitians to speak to our class. They discussed practical ways to create healthier meals while cooking a simple yet healthy dish for our class. Students asked lots of questions and discussed how to incorporate healthier options into their meals at home.

Other community presenters visited the class to talk about their services and organizations, and students even went on field trips to locations such as the children’s museum, public library and new Field House at the YMCA."

Apple Tasting with Family Learning

On November 21, the Family Learning class participated in apple tasting. The purpose of this event was to expose students to a variety of different apples (there are so many!) and to help them learn new vocabulary words that are associated with foods.

It was so much fun being part of this event. There were 5 different apple options to choose from, including red delicious, golden delicious, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and fuji.

One might think that all apples taste the same, but that’s far from the truth—and some are more delicious than others! It was delightful watching the students try apples and react to them. They also did a really good job of using their new vocabulary words.

Here are some pictures from the apple tasting for your viewing pleasure!

Golden delicious apples were not his favorite! 

The Season of Thanks

It’s that time of year when people count their blessings. They take a look at their life and give thanks for the events and people who have had a big impact.

Here that the PVLA, we have so much to be thankful for. From a new director to being able to participate in Taste of Columbus, 2023 had a lot going on. Through it all, we still did what we had to to ensure that students were being taken care of and being empowered to reach their educational goals.

 

Individuals Who Make it Happen

One of the biggest things we are thankful here at the PVLA are the donors who either give their time or resources to help students. From Snack Sponsors to volunteer tutors to volunteer instructors, individuals giving what they can makes a huge impact on the lives of students.

It may not seem like a lot for students to have a cup of coffee or grab a small treat, but it means the world to them. They are working hard to improve their lives (and the lives of their families), so being able to take a break and refuel is essential.

Having instructors and tutors who freely give their time to make sure students understand a particular topic or have information to learn a new one is life-changing—literally. The topics they are learning in a class or one-on-one lessons could be exactly what they need to pass a test or apply for a better job. Without individuals willing to help out, students wouldn’t be filled with the knowledge they need to improve their lives.

 

Partnerships with the Community

Individuals play a huge role in supporting students, but we couldn’t do much without the community. Our partnership with CCC Adult Education provides the technology and classroom space, as well as the instructors and materials, that keep our students learning with the most up-to-date information.

The United Way allocates the vast majority of funding that ensures we can pay our high-quality instructors and obtain materials and technology for the classrooms.

Our newest partnership with Columbus Public Schools to offer Family Learning allows us to reach a whole new set of students and provide them with language skills that will help them and their families be successful in life.

The Family Learning classes, as well as our Integration Class, has also opened up partnerships with community members to speak directly to students about the services they have to offer. There are so many amazing individuals who have volunteered their time to talk about their jobs and their passions to ensure that our students know more about the Columbus community.

There are also the partnerships with manufacturers here in town. These companies go out of their way to schedule Outreach Classes to ensure their employees have the skills that can help them be successful at work and beyond. Whether they are learning English or conversational Spanish, these businesses are breaking down barriers and making all of their employees feel valued inside the company walls and in the larger community.

 

More to Come

This year has been incredibly busy with the development of new classes and partnerships and maintaining classes that have been in existence for a long time. The PVLA has been around since the 1980s, and we continue to thrive and survive because of the support of individuals and members of the community.

We are so thankful for our donors, whether they give of their time or money. This year may be drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean we’re done. There are still so many ways for you to support the PVLA and its mission, and there’s a whole new year to get involved and see what we have planned for our students.

Thank You!

The Start of Family Learning

Photo by August de Richelieu: https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-helping-her-daughter-use-a-laptop-4260325/

Here at the PVLA, we are always looking for ways to better serve our students and the community at large. As you may know, we work in partnership with Central Community College Adult Education to ensure that we have the necessary resources to reach more individuals within the community and provide them with what they need to be successful.

When I first came on as the executive director, I asked the Adult Education coordinator what are some ways the PVLA and CCC could better serve the community. Her answer was that she wanted to start a Family Learning class.

What Is Family Learning?

One of the things that we noticed is that many of the non-English-speaking individuals in the area don’t feel like members of the community or that they can be fully engaged with their children’s education or other activities because they don’t understand what’s going on.

We wanted to change that.

We wanted to offer a way for individuals to learn the English language and be involved with their child’s education—and that’s where Family Learning comes into play.

By implementing Family Learning in Columbus, our hope is to equip adults with the necessary skills to be involved with their children in every aspect of their life with confidence. Making parents accountable to themselves and their children gives them the incentive and desire to gain new knowledge to be successful in life.

Not only does classroom instruction help with knowledge gain, but by having parents involved, this also promotes academic achievement and builds stronger relationships. When parents have a better understanding of what their children are learning, they can be supportive and encouraging—and this can motivate parents to pursue their dreams as well.

Family success starts at the top, and providing adults with the skills and knowledge they need to apply for and obtain better paying jobs is essential. Giving them the confidence to be involved with their child’s education and activities and as members of the community is mutually beneficial. Once parents and caregivers have a stable foundation, they can then offer support and guidance to their families.

What Does Family Learning Look Like?

The adult students attend a total of 6 hours of classes per week, two days per week. Forty-five minutes to one hour of that time is spent with their child in the classroom, then they go to their own ESL class.

We have partnered with a local elementary school that offers an ELL program, and they allow parents into their child’s classroom and provide a space for the adults to attend their own ESL classes.

What Are the Hopes for the Program?

We can’t tell you how incredibly excited we are about starting the Family Learning program. Not only do we want our students to be successful while learning the English language, but we also want them to feel like valuable members of the community.

To be able to attend this class, you have to be invited. If you'd like more information, please reach out and ask!  

We may be starting out small, but the hope is that we can grow and expand the program to impact as many individuals and their families as possible. The PVLA’s mission is to empower students to reach their education goals, and Family Learning is another opportunity for them to do that.