Calhoun Adult Learning Center Celebrates International Literacy Day

Students in Lisa McKinney’s advanced English as a Second Language class have a lot to be proud of this week.  They created an International Literacy Day exhibit that is hanging in the main building at Coosa Valley Technical College’s Gordon County Campus, and their work is garnering a lot of attention and compliments.

Titled “My Country Is . . .”, the exhibit features posters that the students created to inform the college population about their native countries.  The pride they feel about their homes is evident in their displays.

“My students throughout the years have always moved me with how proud they are of their native countries,” said McKinney.  “I wanted to encourage them to share that pride with others in the college and create a chance for the ESL students to show their literacy skills and for other students to learn something.”

The ESL students searched the Internet for illustrations and wrote captions and other text to describe aspects of their country or culture.  Many went the extra mile and made their posters three-dimensional by adding souvenirs, currency, or other artifacts from their countries.

“It was wonderful to see the excitement among my students, and I think we really have created a great, eye-opening exhibit,” said McKinney.  “Before the exhibit was even completely up, I overheard a GED student tell his friends, ‘Hey, I just learned something.’  So we have accomplished our mission.”