Winnebago Area Literacy Council asks Oshkosh DEI committee for more language access, transport and community support

Yolanda, the new executive director of the Winnebago Area Literacy Council, told the Oshkosh City Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee on Aug. 25 that the council provides weekly English classes and one-on-one tutoring for newcomer populations and is seeking more city support for language access, transit and community awareness.

"We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization actively serving in Oshkosh since 1989," Yolanda said, summarizing the organization's mission and services. She said English-as-a-second-language instruction remains the council's primary offering and that the organization has recently expanded into workplace and family-focused programming.

The council reported three primary class sites: a lending center downtown in the US Bank building, on-site classes for Amcor Oshkosh North employees, and a women-and-children program at Saint Andrew's Church. Yolanda said the Amcor worksite classes — where the employer pays employees to attend class — served roughly 150 learners per week after launching last year and that the program won a workforce-literacy award…