Carnegie Literacy Center Inc

TO EMPOWER PEOPLE TO EXPLORE & EXPRESS THEIR VOICES THROUGH IMAGINATIVE LEARNING AND LITERARY ARTS

CHILDREN'S & FAMILY PROGRAMS OVER 2,000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN PROGRAMS THAT ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO LEARN TOGETHER OR CHILDREN TO BENEFIT FROM LEARNING NEW THINGS. WE OFFERED PROGRAMMING IN-PERSON, VIRTUALLY, AND/OR AS A HYBRID DEPENDING ON SAFETY DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE YEAR-ROUND TUTORING PROGRAM SERVED 235 STRUGGLING LEARNERS IN GRADES K-12 THROUGH WEEKLY ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING SESSIONS THAT HELPED THEM IMPROVE IN READING, WRITING, OR MATH. CHILDREN FOUND THAT LEARNING CAN BE FUN IN EDUCATIONAL CLASSES INVOLVING READING, WRITING, CREATIVE WRITING, MATH, AND OTHER TOPICS. THE FAMILY FUN AND LEARNING PROGRAM OFFERED FREE BOOKS AND FUN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AROUND A CENTRAL THEME, EITHER IN PERSON OR VIA MAILED LITERACY KITS; WHEN VIRTUAL, GUEST AUTHORS, ARTISTS, & SPEAKERS PARTICIPATED VIA VIDEOS WE POSTED ONLINE. THE CARNEGIE CENTER PROVIDED VIRTUAL & IN PERSON OUTREACH PROGRAMS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS & COMMUNITY SITES, WHICH OFTEN INCLUDED FREE BOOKS AND CONNECTING CHILDREN WITH PUBLISHED AUTHORS. HIGH SCHOOL WOMEN IN THE YOUNG WOMEN WRITERS PROJECT ATTENDED INTENSIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS, GAVE PUBLIC READINGS, AND MENTORING ELEMENTARY GIRLS. THROUGH OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND BOOK DISTRIBUTIONS TO LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES, WE GAVE AWAY OVER 3,000 FREE BOOKS TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS. COLLEGE MENTORING HELPED HIGH SCHOOL UPPER CLASSMAN PREPARE COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND SEEK FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR SCHOLARSHIPS. OF THE OVERALL CHILDREN'S AND FAMILY PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, 73% CAME FROM LOW INCOME HOMES, AND 76% ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. A MAJORITY OF PROGRAM EXPENSES WERE FUNDED BY GRANTS AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS, AS NEARLY ALL OF THE CHILDREN'S AND FAMILY PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED AT NO COST. FOR THOSE PROGRAMS WITH A MINIMAL FEE, SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AVAILABLE FOR ALL CHILDREN FROM LOW INCOME FAMILIES.

ADULT CLASSES - EACH SEASON, WE OFFERED A NEW LINE-UP OF CLASSES IN WRITING, WORLD LANGUAGES, BUSINESS TOPICS, AND OTHERS IN PERSON, VIRTUALLY, OR AS A HYBRID. SOME CLASSES TOOK PLACE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR OUTREACH LOCATIONS AND PARTNERS, INCLUDING A LIBRARY, A LOCAL GROCERY, A LOUISVILLE-BASED LITERARY ARTS NONPROFIT, AND THE SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER. MEMBERS OF THE KENTUCKY BLACK WRITERS COLLABOARATIVE ATTENDED CLASSES AT NO COST. OUR ANNUAL THREE-DAY WRITING CONFERENCE RETURNED IN PERSON AND FEATURED NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR GWENDA BOND AS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER, ALONG WITH FIVE LITERARY AGENTS AND SESSIONS DELIVERED BY SEVERAL AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS/WRITING INSTRUCTORS. THE CARNEGIE CENTER AUTHOR ACADEMY PROVIDED ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, SPECIAL WORKSHOPS, AND OTHER SUPPORT OVER A 9-MONTH PERIOD WHILE THE POETRY GAUNTLET PUSHED PARTICIPANTS TO GENERATE 100 POEMS INSIDE OF A YEAR. WE OFFERED ONE-ON-ONE WRITER MENTORING YEAR-ROUND FOR THE INDIVIDUAL HOPING TO SOMEDAY BE PUBLISHED, AS WELL AS THE PERSON NEEDING TO PREPARE BUSINESS-RELATED TEXT OR DEMONSTRATE BETTER WRITING SKILLS ON THE JOB. WE SERVED 1,675 ADULTS IN THESE PROGRAMS. A MAJORITY OF REVENUE CAME FROM GRANT FUNDS AND CONTRIBUTIONS SO THAT WE COULD HIRE QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS WHILE MAINTAINING AFFORDABLE FEES. SCHOLARSHIP RATES WERE GIVEN TO PEOPLE IN NEED.

ARTS ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS - THE CORNERSTONE OF THE CENTER'S ARTS ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS WERE LITERARY ART PROGRAMS, AND WE PROMOTED KENTUCKY WRITERS THROUGH ALL THAT WE DID. MOST ARTS ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS WERE VIRTUAL DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THOUGH NEARLY ALL WERE OFFERED IN PERSON BY MARCH 2022. WE WERE THE HOST SITE FOR THE HYBRID BOOK LAUNCH OF KENTUCKY POET LAUREATE CRYSTAL WILKINSON'S POETRY COLLECTION, PERFECT BLACK. WE ALSO HOSTED A VIRTUAL EVENT WITH BAILEY SCHOOL KIDS SERIES AUTHORS MARCIA THORNTON JONES & DEBBIE DADEYALONG WITH PEARL LOW, THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR OF THE SERIES' FIRST GRAPHIC NOVEL. CARNEGIE PROVIDED 4 KENTUCKY GREAT WRITERS SERIES READING EVENTS WHICH WERE LATER REBROADCAST ON RADIO STATION WUKY 91.3 AND AVAILABLE AS RECORDED VIDEOS ON CARNEGIE'S FACEBOOK PAGE AND YOUTUBE CHANNEL. THE KENTUCKY BLACK WRITERS COLLABORATIVE HOSTED A MEMORIAL READING HONORING AUTHOR & ACTIVIST BELLE HOOKS, AS WELL AS "AT THE CLEARING," AN EVENT TO LAUNCH AN INTERACTIVE STATUELIKE A WEEPING WALL--OF THE LATE BREONNA TAYLOR INSIDE THE CARNEGIE BUILDING. THE KBWC ALSO LAUNCHED THE BURN THE MIC POETRY SLAM AND FORGED AN ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH WUKY FOR LIVE READING EVENTS. THIS YEAR, WE INDUCTED GEORGE ELLA LYON, JAMES KLOTTER, LOYAL JONES, TED POSTON, & ROBERT HAZEL INTO THE KENTUCKY WRITERS HALL OF FAME DURING A CEREMONY AT THE HISTORIC KENTUCKY THEATER. WE HELPED EMERGING WRITERS BECOME NOTICED THROUGH WRITING CONTESTS IN A VARIETY OF FORMS AND GENRES, INCLUDING THE NEW OCTAVIA BUTLER SCI-FI & SPECULATIVE FICTION CONTEST. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR "HOMEGROWN AUTHORS" BOOTH AT THE LEXINGTON FARMERS MARKET WITH KENTUCKY AUTHORS ON SITE TO SELL AND SIGN THEIR BOOKS. WE ENGAGED OVER 3,000 PEOPLE WITH THESE FREE ADMISSION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS AND TOUCHED SEVERAL THOUSAND MORE THROUGH THE WUKY RADIO REBROADCASTS--THANKS TO SUPPORT FROM OUR GRANT FUNDERS, PROGRAM PARTNERS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY.