Treasure Coast Education
ADULT EDUCATION
WAY WITH WORDS
Literacy Services of Indian River County volunteer Francine Chernyshev reviews materials with Lamar Wynn of Vero Beach during a tutoring session at the
main library in Vero.
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Volunteer tutors are the key to fighting
illiteracy on the Treasure Coast
BY WILLI MILLER
PHOTOS BY ED DRONDOSKI
Do you remember the first time you recognized a
word in a book?
Chances are you were a youngster and that
day was the beginning of a lifetime of learning
and adventure. Now imagine yourself at your
present age, unable to order from a menu, read a note from
your child’s teacher or fill out a job application. For a surprisingly
large number of adults on the Treasure Coast, such
functional illiteracy is a reality.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics,
20 percent of Florida residents lack basic literacy skills. On
the Treasure Coast, the numbers range from 11 percent in
Martin County to 16 percent in St. Lucie County. The good
news is the presence of nonprofit agencies in each of the
Treasure Coast counties, all with programs aimed at lowering
those numbers.
For Mary Silva, executive director of Literacy Services of
Indian River County, the mission of the agency is expressed
best in its e-mail signature: “Helping adults improve literacy
skills, opening a world of possibilities through friends — one
page, one book, one life at a time.”
Fulfilling that mission requires volunteers and financial
support. In Indian River and St. Lucie counties, the services
are United Way agencies. In Martin County, the Center for
Reading & Literacy is an arm of the Martin County Library
System. All three rely heavily on private and corporate donations
and community-supported fundraising events. “We
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