Remember your favorite book from when you were learning to read? Do you remember how it made you feel to enter a new, different and exciting imaginary world? You loved it, told everyone about it and read that book over and over again. Many people at Janus are now discovering the great joy found in books as they participate in the Doorways Literacy program.
Janus was recently honored as one of 20 recipients of an Indiana Humanities Novel Conversations Speakers grant award. As a result of that award, Doorways welcomed Indiana Author Award recipient Sarah Gerkensmeyer to Janus. Over 100 people, including several guests from the ARC of Greater Boone County, attended Gerkensmeyer’s program and participated in a variety of literacy activities that included readings, special learning exercises as well as opportunities to speak with the Indiana author.
While the Indiana Humanities Council has awarded numerous grant awards to various nonprofit organizations throughout the state, this was the first time that a program serving people with disabilities hosted a Novel Conversations Speakers event. Literacy is so much more than learning letters and reading words. It is truly the main character in everyone’s life story.
Indiana Humanities connects people, opens minds and enriches lives by creating and facilitating programs that encourage Hoosiers to think read and talk. For more information about the Doorways Literacy program, contact Tim White at (317)773-8781 or tjwhite@janus-inc.org.