What they love most about the program is the freedom to choose what they want to learn each week. They are using the Northstar program, which works great because it is individualized and has a menu of tests and curricula. They also both work with the same tutor, Gene. Gene’s sense of humor makes the classes enjoyable for Sandra and Jeanie. Whenever they face challenges on a specific assessment, Gene takes the same assessment to understand their struggles better. Together, they work on solving problems and finding solutions.
Sandra and Jeanie can immediately apply the skills that they’ve learned from our digital literacy program to various aspects of their lives. Jeanie facilitates Bible studies, and after learning about how to use Microsoft Word, it’s been a game-changer for her to prepare and print her lessons.“Before, I had to write everything on a piece of paper, and it took me longer. Now, I feel confident and can get my class ready on the computer,” she shares happily. Sandra also helps the church make charts for attendance and other administrative tasks that need to be tracked. “I need to be using Excel for various things, and this program has given me the confidence to work on the computer more easily,” Sandra shares.
Learning in a friendly environment is crucial for them, and they feel right at home at Fox Valley Literacy. “First, I was kind of apprehensive about this. But when I was able to come here to be myself, I was like, well, if I can come here to be myself, then I love this place. Because, you know, you can go some places and you can’t be yourself”, Jeanie shares. They are both thankful for the things they have learned and how it has made their lives better. Because they feel more confident now, they keep setting higher goals and want to improve their computer skills even more!