Upcoming Events

March 22, 2012
Who wants to be a Spellionaire?

The Literacy Council’s Spelling Bee: it’s back and better than ever! Fifteen teams of three adults each will compete in the word challenge of their lives . The team that abdicates the superfluous squads by spelling vocabulary like "abcoulomb" and "zyzzyva" will walk away with the distinction: Best Spellers in Buncombe County! 

New this year:

• Teams must have both spelling and concentration skills in order to disregard the pandemonium caused by a costumed, cheering audience!  Prizes will be awarded to audience members with the best costumes.
• Involve relatives and acquaintances from all over the world! Spellers create online fundraising pages to raise their team fee of $250.
• Pilfer another team’s word! Purchase supplementary details! Teams that raise additional funding can purchase the opportunity to “cheat” during the competition.
• Acquire valuable prizes! While only one team can win the competition, many teams will receive prizes for participating.

Eager to compete? We will limit the competition to 15 teams, so be sure to reserve your spot by contacting me (254-3442 or amanda@litcouncil.com) today.

 

Volunteer Tutor Orientation and Training Schedule

Download a PDF file showing dates and time for tutor orientation sessions and tutor training classes for Adult Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).   Classes fill up fast.   Schedule your seat today via e-mail to literacytutors@litcouncil.com or by calling 828-254-3442, ext 204.  

Tutor Orientation and Training Schedule January- June 2012

 

Events Archives

August 26, 2011
Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction featuring Ron Rash

Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour silent auction and dinner before hearing from New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash. Ron began by sharing his unique journey to becoming an acclaimed writer: his passion for the written word was ignited by his grandfather, a hard-working Buncombe County resident who, like so many Literacy Council students, never learned to read or write. He went on to read some of his recent poetry set in rural Appalachia, which drew sighs of admiration from the event’s guests.

Other highlights from the evening included live mountain music by the Over the Mountain Boys, live watercolor painting by artist Olga Dorenko and, for the first time, a live auction. A former Literacy Council student, Mary Riddle, shared her unique and inspirational story—a journey to earn her GED with the help of a Literacy Council tutor.

This was the highest attended Authors for Literacy yet, with over 260 guests. The event raised over $30,000 in unrestricted funding to support the Literacy Council of Buncombe County. This funding will benefit the Literacy Council’s students who are working day after day to improve their lives, often in spite of great obstacles.

Click here to view a slideshow of the 4th Annual Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction. All photos by Black Box Photography: Steve Mann

May 21, 2011
Literacy Council Spring Potluck Picnic

The staff and Board of Directors, gathered with tutors and students at Carrier Park for a potluck celebration and to recognize volunteer tutors for their dedicated service to the Literacy Council. Tutors commit to tutor for a minimum of 9 months when joining the program.  On Saturday, tutors were recognized for service above and beyond, many of whom have been volunteering for 10 years or more.  The current active tutor with the longest history, Ann Marie Behling, was honored for her 14 years with the Literacy Council. Click here to see photos of the event..

Spelling Bee Renovation.

May 2010 marked the Literacy Council of Buncombe County’s 20th annual Spelling BeeSpellebration. We aspire for the Spelling Bee to be successful for another 20 years and therefore plan to take a one-year hiatus for event development. This additional planning time for the 2012 Spelling Bee will enable us to revamp the event, keeping the challenging words and event details that you adore while increasing benefits for participants, the community, and the Literacy Council.

Over the past couple of years, we have received numerous suggestions about how to improve our Spelling Bee. Suggestions include: changing the date, involving a wider audience, including entertaining breaks from the intense competition, keeping the word lists creative and thought-provoking, increasing the financial and outreach benefits for the Literacy Council. We would love to have your input!

If you have ever been involved with the Spelling Bee as a speller, audience member, sponsor, or volunteer, please email your ideas for improvement to donors@litcouncil.com.

October 27, 2010
1st Annual Stakeholders Meeting

With the backdrop of a mountain-top autumn sunset, volunteer tutors, donors, board members, and Corporate Partners gathered to learn about the Literacy Council’s 2009-2010 fiscal year accomplishments.
Former Literacy Council student and spokesperson Mary Riddle captivated the audience with her inspirational story, program directors shared their annual statistics, and Executive Director Amanda Edwards gave an organizational and budget overview.  
“The Literacy Council is growing and expanding each year,” said Amanda Edwards. Click here to visit the 2009-2010 Annual Report.

Meeting space was generously provided by M7 Event Solutions
Wine was donated by Bed & Biscuit Pet Spa

October 7, 2010
“Read, Write, Discover—The Circle of Literacy,”
A Lecture by Elizabeth Kostova

Local author Elizabeth Kostova gave a lecture to over 80 guests in support of the Literacy Council and Carolina Day School. Kostova told of her adventures as a New York Times best-selling author and the readers who her novels reach.
“When I traveled for my first novel,” Kostova told fellow writer Rob Neufeld, “I went to about ten countries, including all over the U.S., and people would come up to me and tell me something about what reading had meant to them. I was very moved by the stories and started writing them down. I’ve been waiting for a while to have some form in which to express them… Raising money for organizations that help people build their abilities—from reading signs to being transformed and being good citizens in a democracy—that seemed perfect.”
Kostova also shared her experience as the mother of a child who struggles with and triumphs over dyslexia.  She gave statistics about other children and adults who have similar learning disabilities, and told the audience about the impact that Carolina Day School’s Key Learning Center and the Literacy Council have on these individuals locally.

Providing contributions to the event and VIP pre-reception were:
Bed & Biscuit Pet Spa
the Captain’s Bookshelf
Chad Wood, and Short Street Cakes
Carolina Day School provided the venue

August 27, 2010
3rd Annual Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction
featuring New York Times Best-Selling Author John Hart

The 3rd Annual Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction was held Friday, August 27, 2010 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel.  215 guests attended to support the Literacy Council and hear New York Times best-selling author John Hart. VIP tickets, which included an intimate reception with the author, sold out.

The silent auction included 63 items and packages, donated by 88 local businesses and individuals. The most popular items included:

• A 2-night stay in Charleston and 3-night stay in Murrells Inlet with two rounds of golf (courtesy of Festiva Hospitality Group)
• A sunset cruise on Lake Toxaway and dinner for 8 (courtesy of John & Julie Heinitsh)
• “Moon Over Pisgah” framed digital photograph (courtesy of Mary Costello)
• Locally hand crafted pottery (courtesy of Barbara Gerber Pottery & Joe T. Kasben Pottery)
• "Our Favorite Wines” package, including 12 bottles of wine, each recommended by a Literacy Council board member, and a polymer clay wine bottle stopper (courtesy of Good Night Irene & the Literacy Council Board of Directors)

John Hart shared his “fifteen-year overnight success story,” leaving 200 guests bright-eyed, captivated, and laughing out loud.  His pursuit of the writing life took many wayward turns: sanding teak on the Carolina coast, going to school to become an accountant, working on helicopters in Alaska, drawing pints in a London pub, and practicing law in his hometown.  The commonality throughout his journey, however, was an infectious love for family and literature.  Few could forget the humor, honesty, and engaging story-telling that John Hart shared with the Literacy Council audience on Aug. 27, 2010.

July 5-16, 2010
Asheville Augustine Project Tutor Training

Are you interested in helping to close the achievement gap between low-income and middle class students? This project trains tutors to provide free, high quality, 1-to-1, long-term, instruction in reading, writing and spelling to children and teens who qualify for free or reduced school lunches. 

Our tutors receive 60 hours of training, and a bag full of teaching materials and curriculum before they are assigned an Augustine child. The two week training class includes a practicum during which the trainee evaluates a student, and then teaches five consecutive multi-sensory lessons under the supervision of a practicum supervisor.  The tutor course is taught by a team of experienced trainers who present such topics as the definition and characteristics of dyslexia, the history and principles of Orton-Gillingham, phonological awareness, phonology (including sounds, syllable types and spelling rules), screening instruments and procedures, sight words, cursive handwriting, phonics games and activities, decoding, fluency and comprehension, vocabulary, written expression and advocacy.  Wilson Reading System materials guide the lesson planning process. 

Tutor training takes place at Randolph Learning Center on Montford Avenue in downtown Asheville. The course and materials are offered free of charge to new tutors, in exchange for them offering at least 60 pro bono sessions to a student in need in WNC.

2010 Training schedule: Weekdays July 5-16 from 9:00am-4:00pm

For more information, download this information sheet or visit the Augustine Project home page wwww.augustineproject.org

 

June 2010
Winesdays at the Wine Studio of Asheville

Each month, local business owner, Jessica Gualano chooses a non-profit to feature during The Wine Studio of Asheville's weekly "Winesday" wine tastings. The Literacy Council of Buncombe County was chosen as the June 2010 featured organization.

Each Wednesday evening in June, our supporters and guests enjoyed a tasting of five wines for $5. Click here to see photos from the June 9 Winesday. Proceeds benefitted the Literacy Council's programs to teach adults basic reading, writing, math, and English language skills through individual and small group instruction by trained volunteers. 

To learn more about The Wine Studio of Asheville: click here to visit their website, follow them on twitter, friend them on facebook, or follow their blog.

 

May 27, 2010
20th Annual Spelling Bee

Fourteen Spelling Bee teams—sponsored by local businesses, non-profits, community associations, colleges, book clubs and friends—competed in the 20th Annual Spelling Bee on May 27, 2010. One hundred guests attended to cheer on their favorite team. The great mix of spelling talents and audience personalities made this an exciting evening, with rounds lasting late into the evening.

Highlights:
* Evergreen Community Charter School fielded the first youth team in Literacy Council Spelling Bee history.  They spelled along with the best of the competitors!
* Local celebrities competing this year include AB Tech President Dr. Hank Dunn and Asheville Citizen-Times reporter John Boyle.
* Warren Wilson College held their own spelling bee on March 12, 2010, to support the Literacy Council and find the best spellers to represent them at the 20th Annual Spelling Bee.
* The Villages at Crest Mountain team stood out with silly hats.
* Givens Estates bussed in a cheering crowd to support their team.

The Spellbinders walked away with the 20th Anniversary Spelling Bee Grand Prize , which included autographed copies of “Water for Elephants,” “The Historian,” and “The Last Child” for each team member.  They also received a trophy and a gift certificate to celebrate their win at Bonefish Grill.  The Spellbinders were also the Spirit Prize winners.

This year’s teams were:
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Asheville Citizen-Times
Asheville City Schools
Asheville Savings Bank
Congregation Beth HaTephila Brotherhood
Evergreen Community Charter School
Givens Estates
Home Trust Bank
Manna Food Bank
Mountain Bizworks
Norwood Park Werd Nerds 
The Spellbinders
Villages at Crest Mountain
Warren Wilson College

 

September 3, 2009
United Way Day of Caring

The United Way through Hands-On Asheville-Buncombe will deploy volunteers from Eaton Corporation throughout the county to champion the cause of literacy. The Eaton Corporation team will help the Literacy Council raise awareness about the problems of non-readers in our community by distributing bookmarks and materials at libraries, bookstores, community centers, and local businesses.

The Literacy Council is always looking for volunteer tutors and actively recruiting new students to the Adult Education Program. Be a volunteer. Refer a student. Get involved in a day of caring!

 

August 28, 2009
2 nd Annual Author’s for Literacy Dinner and Silent Auction

A maximum capacity crowd turned out for the 2nd Annual Author’s for Literacy fundraiser held at Gold Sponsor DoubleTree Biltmore Hotel.   Keynote speaker was Asheville's own Sara Gruen and NY Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants.

 

We offer special thanks to our Platinum Sponsor Blue Ridge Energy Systems, Gold Sponsor Greenlife for their wine donation, and our Silver Sponsor Representative Bruce Goforth.   Auction items ranging in value from $40.00 to $2000.00 were donated by numerous talented artists, individuals, and local businesses.   The event surpassed all goals, raising over $25,000 to support literacy.

 

May 27, 2009
19th Annual Spelling Bee

A major fund raiser for the Literacy Council, this year’s event raised over $19,000 from corporate sponsorships.   Spellers from Given Estates were the winning team!

The Spelling Bee was hosted by the Literacy Council of Buncombe County in conjunction with the American Association of University Women.  The event was held at AB Technical College’s Laurel Auditorium and 20 teams participated.   Door prizes were donated by a variety of local businesses in Asheville.

Through the years, with the support of the business community and the general public of Buncombe County, the Spelling Bee has raised over $146,000 for area literacy programs.

 

May 18, 2009
Open House

Monday May 18th 2009 marks a monumental day for the Literacy Council of Buncombe County. Join the staff, board, volunteer tutors, students and the Chamber of Commerce at a ribbon-cutting and opening of the photo and writing exhibit Readers Are Leaders, from 4-6pm at 31 College Place, downtown Asheville.

The Readers Are Leaders exhibit includes short stories authored by our students.   Visit the Council’s new space, enjoy the reception, and meet the Literacy Council.

 

September 12, 2008
1st Annual Author’s for Literacy – An Evening in Eastern Europe

The Literacy Council of Buncombe County launched its first Author’s for Literacy fundraiser this year.   The event was held at UNC-Asheville’s Reuter Center where author Elizabeth Kostova spoke to an audience of over 100.   We especially thank Reynolds Mountain for their sponsorship of the event.