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News
08.22.05--
Hauptman Woodward & Literacy Volunteers Launch New "Quickspeak" Language Partnership
Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo & Erie County has signed a landmark contract with Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute today to offer instruction in conversational English to scientists who may be recruited in future hiring blitzes by the ever-growing biomedical research institute. This partnership positions Literacy Volunteers as the official language provider for all Hauptman-Woodward employees.
The “Quickspeak” program was designed to meet the emerging needs of non-native English speaking graduate students and professionals, and employees of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Quickspeak helps learners gain comfort using English in social, academic and business settings and is composed of following features: one-on-one personal tutoring; editing resources/assistance with thesis and dissertation papers; weekly conversation classes; and culture clubs to share knowledge about the city of Buffalo as well as traditional American customs.
"Hauptman-Woodward is proud to partner with Literacy Volunteers on this worthwhile project. This is another great example of two not-for-profit organizations coming together to meet each other's needs; it is vital that we continue to build these relationships. I can only hope that this is the first of many collaborative projects we will have with Literacy Volunteers." said George T. DeTitta, Ph.D., Executive Director & CEO of Hauptman-Woodward.
“Hauptman-Woodward has embraced Quickspeak as a means of making their employees feel more comfortable which in turn makes them more productive,” said Tracy Diina, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers. “This is exactly the type of partnership that we aim to foster and we are thrilled that Hauptman-Woodward sees the incredible value of Quickspeak.”
Founded in 1956, HWI is an independent, non-profit facility specializing in the area of basic research known as structural biology. The mission is two-fold; committing to improving human health by studying the causes of diseases at their basic molecular level and working to educate the scientists of tomorrow. Their president and namesake, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1985 for his development of the formula known as “direct methods”, where his application of classical mathematics finally resolved an issue that had defeated generations of chemists. For more information visit HWI's web site at www.hwi.buffalo.edu
Literacy Volunteers is the region’s sole provider of free, one-on-one adult and family literacy services and offers several programs: Basic Reading, English For Speakers of Other Languages, Correctional Literacy, the Drop In Literacy & Language Program and the Reading Right Now Project. Recently service delivery has been expanded to include ten neighborhood based Literacy & Language Drop In Centers in the City of Buffalo’s most impoverished neighborhoods.
In the 2004-2005 program year, Literacy Volunteers provided literacy skills testing, information, and referral services for 805 clients. The organization recruited, trained, and utilized 620 volunteer tutors, and provided 82,384 hours of one-on-one literacy skills training and services for residents of Buffalo and Erie County. 102 students obtained employment or upgraded their jobs, 79 students attained employability skills, 412 students applied skills for a healthier lifestyle, 39 students received drivers licenses, 49 students applied for or received their US citizenship, and 151 students voted for the first time and/or increased their involvement in civic activities. Additionally, homework completion among youth was up 75%, and over 1,000 books were distributed to young people.
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