Orange Literacy Adjusting to Meet Educational Needs Through Pandemic

With schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many kids in the community are left in a position where they are falling behind with their education. In an effort to adjust to the current climate, Orange Literacy in Carrboro has found new ways to help those kids—and their parents—continue learning in a productive manner.

The executive director of Orange Literacy, Alice Denson, recently spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck about how her organization—a non-profit which provides many different one-on-one and small group tutoring services–has adjusted to meet the current needs.

Denson said that as soon as they realized schools could end up closing, the move was made to start training their teachers and students on how to use video conferencing software. All services were moved online, while students without internet access have had written lessons put together and dropped off at their doorsteps.

To this point, the results have been well-received—with Denson saying it’s likely they will continue to heavily feature online learning even after the pandemic is over.

“It’s taught us that we need to open up in what we’re doing,” Denson said. “And making sure we’re including everything out there that’s possible to help our students. We traditionally do in-person, but our students are so open to technology that we need to bring it in. And we need to make it possible for them.

“That’s going to require us to invest a bit more in the technology side of what we’re doing,” she added. “But I think the payoff for our students will be tremendous.”

In addition to helping kids who are in school, Orange Literacy also provides classes for adults as well. This has become especially important because parents have taken on the role of teachers for their kids at home during the pandemic.

Without the necessary skills in literacy or math, that job is especially difficult to perform—creating a situation where the gap is widened between kids with well-educated parents and those that are less fortunate.

“Illiteracy is a multi-generational problem,” Denson said. “If your parents were not literate, then they’re not reading to you, they’re not working with you, and chances are your skills will be low. And the same thing will happen with your children. And it just continues on and on.”

Over the short term, Denson admits there’s only so much that can be done to address that issue outside of making sure they keep students involved with learning and keeping tutors easily accessible one way or another.

When it comes to the long run, she stressed that keeping literacy services available to anybody that wants them is the key—also noting that the role technology plays will be of great importance, especially for those who lack transportation to meet in person on a regular basis.

Although the pandemic has brought about plenty of negatives, Denson is optimistic about the changes it has brought about and what that means for the future.

“I think we will look a little different and I welcome that,” Denson said. “I think it’ll be a good change. Not one that we would have chosen to happen the way that it did, but I think it’ll be good.”

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