VAACE to Honor Literacy Volunteers
Tutor Nancy Steinweg 

On March 14^th at the annual Virginia Association of Adult and Continuing Education (VAACE) conference, former Basic Literacy and current ESOL tutor Nancy Steinweg will receive the Volunteer of the Year Award. VAACE is an association of adult and continuing education practitioners throughout Virginia. The association serves practitioners who are active in city and county adult programs, extension services, government, industry, health services, higher education, and nonprofit organizations. The 53^rd Annual VAACE conference will be held in Alexandria on March 13-15.

 Nancy Steinweg entered the Basic Literacy Program as a volunteer tutor in September 2001. After completing tutor training, Nancy began work with a basic literacy learner who was reading at the first-grade level. She welcomed this challenge and worked hard for nearly a year to help this young man improve his literacy skills. In this short time together, Nancy brought her learner from first-grade to the fifth-grade reading level, which, needless to say, is remarkable progress. She not only helped him improve his skills, she also helped him gain a more positive mindset, raising his self-esteem and confidence in his ability to learn. Unfortunately, their partnership broke up when the learner relocated to Philadelphia. 

After this year-long relationship, Nancy was ready for another challenge. Instead of the known path of taking on another basic literacy learner, she decided to go through another eighteen hours of training to work in the English-for-Speakers-of-Other-Languages Program. She now works with two Vietnamese women, giving her time and talents while broadening the scope of her instructional experience.

 In general, Nancy is an outstanding volunteer, participating in program training, events, and activities beyond basic requirements. For example, she helped her basic literacy learner write and edit a poem that was published in our annual student publication, Writing from the Heart. Her wealth of talent, energy, and enthusiasm makes Nancy Steinweg a wonderful asset. Like all of our tutors, she also serves as a great example to others in our community, demonstrating the positive impact that one person who is willing to volunteer a few hours a week can have on the lives of people in our community. She richly deserves VAACE’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Congratulations Nancy!