JOURNEYS PRESS RELEASE 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Breaking Barriers: Awards and Student Reading Highlight Educational Triumphs
Minneapolis, MN –The Minnesota Literacy Council and Loft Literary Center are hosting a celebration of adult literacy and the many students who have overcome many barriers, including language and culture, to reach their educational goals. The sixth annual Journeys Reading and Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at the Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis.
The evening will begin with a ceremony whereadult literacy students, volunteers, and community partners will receive awards recognizing their outstanding achievements. It also will feature student readings, where sixty adult literacy learners will share their original stories and poems. Several of the readers are authors featured in Journeys, An Anthology of Adult Student Writings. All of them are adult literacy students enrolled in English as a Second Language, GED, reading and other basic skills classes across the state. They demonstrate inspiring courage by choosing to improve their lives through education and by sharing their experiences at this event.
6:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony
7:00 Student Readings followed by a reception
The event is free and open to the public. To ensure seating is available for everyone, pre-registration is required at
Journeys is an annual publication by the Minnesota Literacy Council that includes stories of hope, loss, and struggle, alongside poignant reflections of everyday life written by Minnesotans whose voices are rarely heard. Some are written by immigrants or refugees writing in their second or third language, while others are sharing their writing for the first time after years of frustration and anxiety attributed to low literacy skills. The book will be available at the event and online at
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About the Minnesota Literacy Council
The Minnesota Literacy Council is dedicated to sharing the power of learning through education, community building and advocacy. Founded in 1972, the literacy council is a statewide, non-profit organization that offers literacy services to adults, trains volunteers to become literacy tutors, supports community literacy programs, and helps at-risk kids and their families gain literacy skills for increased success in school and life. For more information, please call 1-800-225-READ or visit
About the Loft Literary Center
Incorporated in 1975, The Loft Literary Center is the nation’s largest independent literary center. The Loft supports the artistic development of writers, fosters a writing community, and builds an audience for literature. For more information about the Loft, please call 612-215-2575 or visit