UPDATED – Our COVID 19 Action Plan
Thank you for your patience…
while we figured out safe and creative solutions for working through this crisis. We’ve been able to come up with and enact productive ways for students to stay in line with their educational goals and for staff to still provide services to those students. Thank you to our students, staff, and volunteer tutors for being proactive with these necessary, and hopefully temporary, changes – we’ll keep you posted as new updates become available.
Updates as of 11/2/20
LearningQuest’s limited reopening
Limiting capacity to 25% of max occupancy, students are scheduled for in-person instruction at the Learning Center in downtown Modesto and staff will still be on site for regular office hours (M-Th, 8:30-4). This site is open to the public for inquiries, but due to safety precautions, we request giving us a call for questions or schedule a time for a visit by contacting 209-548-9266.
Safety precautions will still be taken at LearningQuest sites include face shields, hand sanitizer, face masks, directional walking paths, and social distancing will help to keep the learning environment sanitary and still conducive for learning. LearningQuest staff will be on-site and available for checking in, support, etc.
Continuing instruction for HSE students
Students in the High School Equivalency (HSE) program will be able to continue their learning and transitions services online and in person. Schedules will be assigned to each student to coordinate time frames of classroom and online work. Although all instruction is now available online and in digital form, the in-person class time is another option for students to receive additional one-on-one learning support in order to maintain educational progress.
Every HSE instructor has been assigned students to monitor and guide through assignments. They will be able to keep in contact with each other through email, text, phone, Skype, and online educational platforms to learn and get support right away.
For questions about the HSE diploma program or signing up for orientation, contact Suzanna at 209-672-6663, sholson@lqslc.com
For current LearningQuest HSE students to schedule a meeting with a Transitions Specialist, contact Sarah Ayers at 209-672-6576, sayers@lqslc.com.
Literacy tutoring and KidsQuest at the Library
Students receiving one-on-one tutoring through Adult Literacy Tutoring and KidsQuest will be able to meet at designated tables placed outside on the portico of the Stanislaus County Library (facing 15th St.) as another option to continue their learning. Tutoring students must make reservations for 45 minute time increments, beginning at 8:30 am with the last reservation held at 11:30 am.
For more info about adult tutoring contact: Rose Jurado at rjurado@lqslc.com or Katelynn Christensen at kchristensen@lqslc.com, 209-558-4505.
For info about KidsQuest contact: Catherine Ferrell at cferrell@lqslc.com, 209-672-6641
Staff still providing services
LearningQuest staff will continue to work limited hours on-site and remotely from home. We have updated our communication and digital access logistics so employees will still be able to get their work done efficiently. This will ensure that essential tasks, such as submitting important reports and being available for student calls, are accomplished in order to meet mission and student educational goals. This means that all staff are available for you to contact if needed, click the button below for our directory.
Karen Williams
Executive Director
LearningQuest – Stanislaus Literacy Centers
Director’s Message
November 12, 2020 – A slow and gradual reopening is taking place. While most of our programs remain completely online, we have restored an opportunity for a few socially distanced students to attend our Learning Center classes for High School Equivalency diploma and we have a few adult literacy and KidsQuest tutors and students meeting safely in the Modesto Library’s downstairs auditorium with social distancing, masks and other safety protocols. We launched ESL classes in October that are online in several locations and continue to have most of our HSE classes online as well. I am grateful to the instructional staff who have learned to make online learning effective and interesting for our students. We continue to have graduates every month and are hearing from many students that an online format is actually preferable for them since it means no transportation issues and make-up classes can be done from recordings. When we emerge from this pandemic, we will have learned new ways to provide services effectively and will be the better for it.
June 18, 2020 – I am grateful for the “new normal” LearningQuest had to embrace and where it is leading us. We are dedicated to helping adults achieve their educational and career goals so COVID-19 made us engage fully in distance learning and expand the ways in which our students can achieve their education.Although our online learning was an educational supplement before COVID-19, we’ve found that when we fully transitioned to online classes for safety precautions, some of our students were able to better manage their home and family life while still continuing their education. Some want to continue completely online for that reason. For others who miss the in-person atmosphere, we will soon restore student schedules that include some classroom in-person learning with less students and social distancing on July 7th.
We have another option of using Zoom video and audio technology to have “virtual” students in our classrooms who are sitting at home, but having real-time interactions. This means we can potentially serve people in all areas of the county and extend our reach to underserved rural areas even in other counties by providing online classes, tutoring, financial and digital literacy workshops, and college and career planning. We are finding the new normal to be a better version and look forward to expanded educational opportunities. Thank you for your part in making this new future possible for our students and organization.
May 14, 2020 – As I walked the halls this past week and spoke to staff, I saw nothing but positive teamwork. Everyone is pulling together to successfully get students set up for online and remote learning and I’m so proud of the staff and students. I have not been through anything like this so I have nothing to compare it to, but given the uncertainty of each day, I am grateful I can count on each of them to help out where needed. We are working out schedules to make sure management is available via phone or email and on site, unless required otherwise. We want the students to know that we are all here for them. We’ve really ramped up our plans for providing remote and e-communication so staff can stay connected and still keep diligently working toward our mission goals. Things can change quickly, but above all else, be safe. We will get through this together. Thank you for your patience and support during this time.
Additional COVID 19 resources
Refer to the websites of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (HSA), and California Department of Public Health for additional information on and prevention of Corona Virus.