Literacy Council of Washington County

06/10/2026

📚 Looking to Make a Difference in Washington County? Join Our Board!

The Literacy Council of Washington County is currently seeking passionate, community-minded individuals to join our Board of Directors!

For nearly 40 years, we’ve been helping adults in our community build reading, writing, and English language skills - completely free of charge. Our mission is simple: to empower adults with the skills they need to gain confidence, independence, and opportunity. [literacyofwcmd.org]

Now, we’re looking for leaders who want to be part of that impact.

✨ Why join our board?

Help shape the future of a meaningful, local nonprofit
Support adult learners right here in Washington County
Use your skills (or grow new ones!) in leadership, outreach, fundraising, or strategy
Be part of a passionate and supportive team making real change
We welcome individuals from all backgrounds - especially those with experience in education, HR, finance, marketing, fundraising, or community engagement.

💬 Whether you’re looking to give back, expand your network, or make a lasting difference, this is a great opportunity to get involved.

👉 Interested or want to learn more? Comment below or send us a message!

Please share to help us reach others who may be a great fit!

06/09/2026

The Literacy Council sends big appreciation and lots of love to the planning committee, presenters, and attendees of Frederick’s Nonprofit Summit. What a great time to gather, learn, reset, rally, and gain momentum for change!

06/02/2026

Local adults have a wonderful chance to boost their literacy over the summer by participating in the Summer Reading Club! For those who are still working on their English, no problem! The Washington County Free Library has a growing collection of books written (or read) in other languages. Ask a librarian to help find the right material for YOU! Don't let the kids have all the fun this summer; enjoy "uncovering" what piques YOUR interest.

Follow this link for more details about the SRC and how to register: https://www.washcolibrary.org/src

05/22/2026

Hats off to Salem Avenue students in the Hagerstown Area Religious Council’s Lighthouse After-School program. Coached by a dynamic duo of teachers, including longtime Literacy Council tutor Kathy T, multi-lingual students got their first taste of drama club. The group prepared a short skit based on book “Do You have a Hat?” by Eileen Spinelli. In the final performance, students portrayed various historical figures by wearing distinctive hats and reciting text from the book. The LCWC was BRIMming with pride over their great accomplishment!

05/18/2026

Have you ever wondered why it can be extremely challenging to learn a new language as an adult? Especially when compared to a child's rapid ability to adapt linguistically and decipher communication. This article suggests that "it may be easier for babies -and young children- to learn a language because they do not know as much about words as adults do!" It's worth a read.

All normally developing babies learn to speak. For most adults it is hard to learn a new language, even though they have more knowledge and more developed cognitive abilities. In the past, researchers attributed this to irreversible differences in the brains of children and adults. In my research, w...

05/11/2026

On Saturday May the 2nd, LCWC hosted our second tutor training of the year! New tutors processed a lot of pertinent information, engaged with instructors, and still had enough energy to smile at the end of the day! Choosing to tutor adult learners is a personal investment into improving the future of this community. By investing into the life of a single individual, you are also investing into their family, their workplace, their neighborhood. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

05/05/2026

Last Wednesday LCWC tutors had the privilege of attending an in-service about free educational resources. Held in Trinity Church’s renovated choir space, this valuable workshop was conducted by Michael Tucker, Lead Teacher at Western Maryland Consortium. His short presentation packed a punch. Drawn from Mike’s knowledge of education, discussion touched on WMC’s services, the practicalities of earning a GED, and effectively finding teaching resources on a budget. (A budget = Free dollars) Plus, there were brownies! All around, it was quite a constructive afternoon. Thank you Western MD Consortium for everything you do to assist adult learners, including LCWC tutors and students, in Washington County!

04/29/2026

A great reminder from our favorite monster— The best way to find out about something or someone is to ask questions. Life, literacy, and learning happens when community happens. As for LCWC, we are grateful for our inquisitive students and tutors who continue to show up and invest into each other.

04/27/2026

This morning the Community Foundation of Washington County presented its 2026 Responsive Grant to 16 local nonprofits. The Responsive Grants focused on supporting partnerships between nonprofit organizations for services benefiting residents of Washington County.

The Literacy Council of Washington County, representing our partners:
📚Washington County Free Library,
💪Western MD Consortium (westernmarylandconsortium.org), and
👩‍🏫HCC Program of Adult Literacy Services,
proudly received these grant funds to offer targeted educational aid to adult learners in Washington County. Read more here: https://www.cfwcmd.org/2025-responsive-grants-awarded

04/21/2026

Our Thursday evening conversation group is flourishing! Having a safe and friendly place for ELL students to practice their English is so important! Research into language acquisition indicates that active, back-and-forth conversation is significantly more effective—up to six times more productive —than passive listening alone. The Wednesday morning and Thursday night conversation groups are lively, filled with learners making connections in comprehension and with each other. Thank you to the hard working tutors who facilitate these fantastic sessions each week!