Adult Literacy Programs Now Airing Statewide on OETA
If you are an Oklahoma adult seeking to improve your reading, writing and math skills or you’re preparing to take the GED exam, help is here. Through Get Reading Oklahoma, an innovative project of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, adults across the state now have widespread accessibility to basic literacy assistance and preparation for the GED exam.
Get Reading Oklahoma offers two television programs created just for adults studying for the GED exam or who want to improve their basic skills in reading, writing and math:
- GED Connection is a 39-episode series developed through the PBS LiteracyLink project that helps adult students prepare for the GED exam. Episodes are 30 minutes in length.
- TV411 is a 30-episode series targeted toward adults who want to improve their literacy skills. TV411 uses every day situations such as filling out job applications, reading and comprehending newspaper stories, writing letters and understanding recipes as opportunities to learn. Episodes are 30 minutes in length.
The Oklahoma City Community Foundation purchased the broadcast rights to both programs to make them available to Oklahomans. The programs are now airing each weekday from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) through July 31, and are also available via online streaming at www.getreadingoklahoma.org. Later this summer, Cox Digital Cable customers will be able to view the programs through the On Demand FreeZone channel. In addition, Cox Communications is providing a toll-free telephone number for anyone looking for literacy services in their community or someone who wants to volunteer with a literacy provider. The number is
1-888-OK2Read (1-888-652-7323).
“Many adults in our state read at levels too low to function independently and their inability to read impacts their health, their economic well-being and the lives of their families,” says Nancy B. Anthony, executive director of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. “Because it’s available in several different formats, Get Reading Oklahoma eliminates barriers like lack of transportation and childcare that may have kept many adults from seeking assistance. It is our hope that this effort and all of the supporting activities will begin to address this issue in our community and our state.”
In addition to the television broadcasts, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries is providing GED Connection and TV411 promotional materials as well as workbooks, teachers’ guides and DVDs to 20 literacy programs and 10 public libraries throughout the state. The Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board (COWIB) has joined in the effort and is funding the purchase of materials for literacy programs and GED providers in Oklahoma County.
Tyler Media has donated advertising space at 50 Metro Transit bus stops throughout the metropolitan area to help promote Get Reading Oklahoma to residents in central Oklahoma.
“We are very appreciative of the cooperation and willingness of all of our partners in this effort,” Anthony says. “Without their assistance and generosity, this program would not be possible.”
During 2009 the Oklahoma City Community Foundation is celebrating 40 years of helping others help the community. “Get Reading Oklahoma is really our anniversary gift back to the community and the state,” says Mrs. Anthony who explained that the project is funded by unrestricted gifts from donors. “We’ve been fortunate throughout the past four decades to have donors who have made gifts to help us support and address the needs of the community,” she said. “What better gift than to reach out to help others improve their lives which is what we’re hoping to accomplish with Get Reading Oklahoma.”
Our Partners
OETA
Oklahoma’s only statewide public television network, OETA-The Oklahoma Network, exists to serve the public interest and enrich the lives of all Oklahomans by focusing the power of media to advance education, culture and citizenship. OETA consistently engages Oklahomans across the state by providing educational programming, community outreach and online engagement that collectively encourage lifelong learning. Explore www.oeta.tv to learn more about OETA’s local productions, community resources, literacy tools and show schedules.
Cox Oklahoma
Cox Oklahoma has proudly supported educational initiatives for Oklahoma's youth for years. We are honored to now join the Get Reading partnership and bring to Oklahomans of all ages, the opportunity to gain their GED or improve their reading skills. Through our Video On Demand product, viewers will have 24/7 access to the Get Reading content in the privacy of their own home and at a pace they set for themselves.
Oklahoma Department of Libraries
Through its Literacy Resource Office, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) is supporting the project by providing the correlating materials to sites throughout the state. Thanks to federal Library Services and Technology Act grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, workbooks, teacher’s manuals and DVDs have been placed in 20 literacy programs and 10 public libraries outside Oklahoma County. For more information about ODL’s literacy efforts visit www.odl.state.ok.us/literacy.
Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board
The Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board (COWIB) is the governing body of the Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Area and is comprised of three Oklahoma counties: Canadian, Logan and Oklahoma. A nonprofit organization, COWIB works to bring all parties involved in education, employment and economic development together to address workforce demands of the three-county area with the goal of creating a highly skilled and productive workforce in central Oklahoma. COWIB is funding access to support materials for learners and tutors in Oklahoma County.
Tyler Media/Tyler Outdoor Advertising
Tyler Outdoor Advertising, the Outdoor division of Tyler Media, is Oklahoma's premier transit advertising company.
