Low Literacy and voting

Posted by

Cynthia Brian on November 1, 2022

Empowerment

How Low Literacy Affects Voting

Post Halloween Messages from Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity

Cynthia Brian

16 hr ago

MIRACLE MOMENT®

“With our thoughts, we make the world.”

~ Buddha

A MESSAGE FROM FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CYNTHIA BRIAN

Halloween is almost over and we hope it was fun, safe, and spooky for all the kiddos! I love seeing all the costumes and the houses decorated for this very favorite holiday.

Now it’s time to get down to the importance of literacy and your vote.

According to U.S. Code §10508, any voter who requires assistance to vote because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be assisted by a person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter’s union. Yet with redistricting and the numerous new State laws targeting people of color and other minorities, voting for people who struggle to read is challenging. According to ProLiteracy, more than 35 million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level. An estimated 63 million adults only read between a sixth and with grade level. Children of those parents have a 72% chance of being at the lowest reading levels themselves. Parents are our first teachers.

Understanding a ballot is difficult when one is a proficient reader as many of the statements are confusing. When a person has low or no literacy skills, knowledgeable voting is almost impossible. Some states have required those who need help to sign an affidavit explaining why they need assistance. Other states do not allow voters to bring sample ballots to the polls and some states limit the number of voters a volunteer may assist. Even when federal courts strike down these restrictions, states create more obstacles.

Voter suppression is real, yet voting is a right of all Americans. The cost of illiteracy to American taxpayers has climbed to $250 billion a year. When someone can’t read, they are excluded from innumerable activities that allow them to function as a human or to reach a level of success. Many are forced to live in poverty. Our prisons are filled with illiterate inmates.

The midterm elections are upon us. Carefully read the sample ballots and if you know someone who has difficulty reading, read the information to them.

Although our young children cannot vote, READ to them daily. Reading to kids early on can help to boost literacy rates over the long term. An estimated 77% of children who are read to are more likely to read or attempt to read on their own, versus 57% of kids who don’t have regular story time at home. Growing up in a literacy-rich environment will one day enable them to be voters who understand what’s on the ballot.

In California, one proposition on the ballot that is not contested is Proposition 28 which will provide the arts to our students. As a mom, actor, author, artist, and coach, I’m asking you to Vote YES on California Proposition 28 on the November 8 ballot. If passed, Proposition 28 will funnel nearly $1 billion annually in new funding to arts and music education in our PreK-12 public schools. All without raising taxes!

A well-rounded education might start with language and math, science and history. But it is not complete without the arts, and on that score, too many California schoolchildren are getting shortchanged.

When the state budgets get tight, arts and music programs are often the first to go. As a result, barely 1 in 5 California elementary schools have full-time art and music program.

Children deserve an opportunity to discover and develop their creative talents. Plus, research shows that students in art classes tend to do better in other subjects and are less likely to miss school. Arts education also correlates to better mental and physical well-being.

For the adults reading this newsletter, remember your vote matters. The political environment has been especially hostile, negative, and violent this season. Study the reference guide to familiarize yourself with the ballot. Vote for the people, policies, and programs that will create a better environment for our nation, our states, and our communities, as well as for you.

READ and VOTE!

Have a SAFE and Happy Halloween!

With gratitude,

Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org
https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org
http://www.BTSYA.org
DONATE: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

Cynthia on Points of Light Inspiration honor Roll: https://www.pointsoflight.org/inspiration-honor-roll/2022-2/

INSPIRE KINDNESS

by Karen Kitchel

This election season can create stress and division, but it also presents an opportunity to inspire kindness with our words and actions.

The Inspire Kindness organization captures many ideas to make the world a kinder place. They offer some good tips to inspire kindness in conversations.

Be kind today, tomorrow, and always!

Karen Kitchel who penned two chapters in the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, is the Kindness Coordinator volunteer with BTSYA. She serves meals to the homeless and is a volunteer teacher, writer, job coach, and mentor. www.scatteringkindness.com

EXPRESS YOURSELF TEEN RADIO’S NEWEST REPORTER

Alix Erlij

Alix Erlij is a senior in high school in Los Angeles who loves all things food! She operates a restaurant review blog and Instagram account called “Sweet and Savory LA” and works at AOC, a well-known farm-to-table restaurant. She also is a volunteer for CCAP, Careers Through Culinary Arts, the managing editor of her school’s newspaper, the leader of a feminist club at her school, and the captain of her water polo team. Alix hopes to share the importance of food and doesn’t hold back any of her strong-willed opinions about restaurants! Her first report is about her favorite picks for Los Angeles Restaurants on Halloween or whenever. Tune in at https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/140013/halloween-and-great-la-restaurants

CYNTHIA BRIAN HONORED ON THE POINTS OF LIGHT INSPIRATION HONOR ROLL

https://www.pointsoflight.org/inspiration-honor-roll/2022-2/

The Points of Light Inspiration Honor Roll was created to celebrate acts of service, kindness, and civic engagement by individuals who create change in communities around the world. It recognizes the people who take action, in both large and small ways, to improve the lives of others. This year, more people are volunteering, using their voices, giving back through work, and taking action when they see a need. Points of Light honors Cynthia Brian, Founder/Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity on this year’s Inspiration Honor Roll. Uplifting stories show how in communities worldwide, the power of people continues to drive the world forward. See the honorees: https://www.pointsoflight.org/inspiration-honor-roll/2022-2/

PEAR FESTIVAL A GREAT SUCCESS

Thanks once again to our volunteer coordinator, Sharanya Roy, and our two sponsors, Lamorinda Weekly Newspaper and MB Jessee Painting for helping Be the Star You Are!® create another fantastic event for families. Our volunteers were kept busy with activities for kids and attendees enjoyed the festivities.

Thanks to everyone who bought books and donated. We appreciate you!

No Barnyard Bullies , based on a true story, is the latest book with proceeds benefiting Be the Star You Are!®. Pick up your copies today. They’ll make great holiday gifts that encourage KINDNESS and INCLUSIVITY.

NOT TO BE MISSED!

Buy an NFT for $99 to support Be the Star You Are!® and you are entitled to a bevy of exclusive experiences only for members of the StarStyle® Community.

Check out: https://www.StarStyleCommunity.com

Mark your calendars and get ready to have fun! Here’s what’s coming up:

Sunday, November 6th, 1pm PT/4pm ET – First ZOOM hangout with Cynthia Brian and Special Guest

First ZOOM hangout with Cynthia Brian and special guest, illustrator Jensen Russell. Find out the true story about the animals behind the book No Barnyard Bullies and how the illustrator interpreted the events. Ask questions and get answers.

Saturday, November 12th, 3-5pm PT – In-Person Book Signing

In-Person Book Storytelling and Signing at Point Richmond Art Gallery, 145 West Richmond Avenue, Point Richmond, California, 94801. Come meet Cynthia, enjoy refreshments, art, and a FREE gift to NFT holders. Bring the kids and the family!

Monday, November 21st, 2pm PT/5pm ET – “Thanksgiving is Everyday”
“Thanksgiving is Every Day” Zoom discussion about how to be grateful with Cynthia Brian
Sunday, December 18th, 4pm PT/7pm ET – Virtual Wine Experience and class
Virtual Wine Experience and class with Sommelier Heather Brittany
Buy your NFT today and support Be the Star You Are!®https://www.StarStyleCommunity.com
HELP CONTINUE THE POSITIVE WORKS! DONATE TODAY!

OUR INTERNATIONAL RADIO BROADCASTS!

Be empowered, motivated, energized, informed and amused.Truthful, heartfelt, and engaging topics and guests!LIVE on Wednesdays from 4-5pm PT, be entertained, informed, amused, and educated on StarStyle-Be the Star You Are!. Then be inspired and motivated onSundays from 3-4pm PT, it’s Express Yourself! Teen Radio with our Be the Star You Are! star teen hosts and reporters.VISIT

https://www.StarStyleRadio.com

for our line-up of topics and guests.

SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP!We have suggestions for you to shop, save, and stay safe. Please use these web sites for all of your shopping essentials.1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882

2. Discounted books at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity

3. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash at 3500+ popular online stores :https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc

4. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA

5. Buy “Read, Lead, Succeed” black tanks and books at StarStyle® Store:

http://www.starstylestore.net/

6. Are you a gamer, lover of new software, or other digital content? Buy all of your favorites at Humble Bundle. http://ow.ly/cYs130iN6n4

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Blog: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog-1

Events: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/events

Contact us: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/contact

CYNTHIA BRIAN

OCT 28

Fall is Now!

Posted by

presspass on September 28, 2020

Empowerment

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THANK YOU!

VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO CARE ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR ALL OF THE U.S.A,!

OUR DEMOCRACY DEPENDS ON YOU!

MIRACLE MOMENT®

“Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”

Thomas Paine

MESSAGE FROM CYNTHIA BRIAN, Founder/Executive Director

In normal times, today I would be celebrating the beginning of fall with our volunteers at our BTSYA booth at the Pear and Wine Festival where we would be providing fun activities for children, giving away books to increase literacy, and encouraging positivity. This gathering is a time to celebrate our “harvest” of serving the community, country, and world. Every year our booth has been sponsored by Andy and Wendy Scheck, publishers of the Lamorinda Weekly newspaper where I have been a columnist since 2008. Because of Covid-19, all in-person activities and events have been canceled so the Lamorinda Weekly decided to honor our autumn festivities by sponsoring this newsletter. We are grateful.

So much has occurred in the last month that it is mind-boggling. Deadly towering infernos, thirty days of red alerts and save-the-air days, falling ash, smoke-taint on red grapes, civil unrest, political nastiness, and all in the midst of the pandemic. I’ve been busy (and sadly) moving out of our office building where Be the Star You Are!® has been headquartered for the past twenty-one years.

As part of Operation Disaster Relief, we have donated over $3500 of brand new books and other goods to survivors of the California fires. We have also provided radio interviews and publicity to authors, actors, artists, and others who have had all of their personal engagements canceled due to the coronavirus. Our Star Teen Book Review volunteers have written hundreds of book reviewsto help children, teens, parents, teachers, and others discover the love of reading. We have welcomed several youth to be content providers, adding their unique voices to the public conversation. We’ve trained teens join our radio family as journalists and radio reporters.

I have never been a political person. Since the time I could vote, I have never voted a party line. As a history major, I read all the materials, vet the source, study the issues with care and caution, then vote for the people, programs, and policies that I believe will best serve the citizens of our nation. This election season is the volatile, derisive, and divisive. It seems we are on the verge of another civil war. I urge you to study the ballot carefully. Cast your vote for decency, respectability, and for the people who will empower our country, not divide it. The world is watching. Americans are waiting. Thomas Paine was astute in his words.

Be brave, be smart, be strong. Do your part. WEAR A MASK! VOTE!

Cynthia Brian

Founder/Executive Director

Be the Star You Are!®

PO Box 376

Moraga, California 94556

Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org

https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org

http://www.BTSYA.org

DONATE: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

SPOTLIGHT on AUTHOR, JOHN LAYNE

Author, John Layne will gallop into the 2021 season of StarStyle® Radio with Red River Reunion a classic Western Fiction novel set in 1877 Texas. It follows U.S. Marshal Luxton Danner and Texas Ranger Wes Payne on their mission to seek out and eliminate the vicious outlaw threat on the banks of the Red River. They risk everything to defend the settlers and uphold frontier law. Encountering tragic circumstances along the way, the duo band together with the settlers to survive, thrive and create a safe and prosperous future for all. Fans of Layne’s distinctive style will enjoy his rich characters and period details that bring the Old West back to life. www.johnlaynefiction.com.

john layne Red River Reunion Standing Cover 2

WELCOME NEW EXPRESS YOURSELF! REPORTERS

Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio is thrilled to welcome two new reporters to our roster, Maggie Campione and Nihal Gill.

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Maggie Campione is a seventh grade student and passionate about theater, reading, public speaking and most importantly, helping others. Her segment is called “The American Connection.” where she will present stories about community connections and staying united during difficult times. Listen to her segment beginning on October 4, 2020.

Nihal Gill, sophomore at Turlock High School loves to play golf and is on the THS varsity golf team. His love for music is expressed through the piano and with his love for robotics he created a non-profit called “Project Spark” to reach out to young elementary students to teach them STEM/Robotics through hands-on kits, and coding. He incorporates the four aspects of STEM into his once a month community classes. His segment is entitled Spark the Interest. He’ll introduce topics that are important for health and wellness for teens all over the world. Nihal will debut on October 28th.

FALL KINDNESS

by Karen Kitchel

Catch a glimpse of leaves turning golden.

Stroll down a less traveled path.

Inhale the scent of a new season.

Remember this amazing autumn day!

VOLUNTEERS SPEAK UP!

Our content writer volunteers speak up and speak out by writing about what is on the minds of the youth and adults of our country.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
A judge who will never be forgotten

By Sarah McClenaghan

On September 18, 2020, America lost one of the most rememberable judges’ in the Supreme Court to pancreatic cancer: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was an associate justice for many years and made a difference in our country. During her time in court, she was known to argue for gender equality, fight for women’s rights, contributed to civil rights, as well as the rights of workers and supported the separation of church and state.

Women would not be where they are without Ginsburg’s influence in Supreme Court, but she also made an impact on men. It is true she was a role model for women across the country, but men had the opportunity to learn from her leadership, her determination and her life. This shows that Ginsburg was a leader of all humanity, not just women, which has been to inspiration to many Americans.

Continue reading at http://www.btsya.com/resources.html

Thank you, Ginsburg.

Sarah McClenaghan is an inspiring content creator from Lancaster, PA who loves to explore, read and drink coffee. Sarah volunteers with Be the Star You Are!®

The Mysteries of Online Learning

by Angelica Paramoshin

Upon the unanticipated arrival of the raging coronavirus, our society was flung into a seemingly never ending quarantine lifestyle. With this followed the forced embracement of remote learning for the many months that followed.

As a current student in high school, I was initially overwhelmed by the sudden alteration from in-person learning to fully remote. Within a few days of the unprecedented change, my mind was flooded with thoughts surrounding the questionable reality we were all living in. It was very difficult to adjust to the confined daily routine that embodied quarantine. With time however, I was luckily able to acclimate to the given circumstances and began improving in my productivity levels.

By improving my ability to complete my assignments in a timely manner, I allowed myself to not continue my interests in volunteering, but to explore new hobbies that would greaten my appreciation for the little things in life.

Continue reading at http://www.btsya.com/resources.html

Angelica Paramoshin, a content creator volunteer with Be the Star You Are!® charity, is a rising senior in high school devoting time during this pandemic to volunteering.

BE UPLIFTED WITH BE THE STAR YOU ARE!® RADIO BROADCASTS

As part of our Be the Star You Are! Disaster Relief Outreach program (https://www.bethestaryouare.org/copy-of-operation-hurricane-disaste), StarStyle® Productions, LLC and Be the Star You Are!® are showcasing authors, artists, actors, poets, musicians, and many others, all of whom had had their gigs canceled and are out of work. We believe in supporting creativity that provides escape and joy, especially during tough times. Tune in to StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® on Wednesdays at 4pm PT for “Wednesdays with Writers and Performers” LIVE http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2206/be-the-star-you-are as well as our teen program, Express Yourself!™ airing on Sundays at 3pm PT for “Super Smart Sundays” https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself

2016 Promo Banner bothshows-no pics

Both programs broadcast on the Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel and will be archived on that site.

MAKE A DONATION TO OPERATION DISASTER RELIEF TO HELP SURVIVORS OF THE FIRES AND HURRICANES!

Make a DONATION through PAYPAL GIVING FUND and PAYPAL with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

DIRECT LINKS you can use for Be the Star You Are!®

Positive Results: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/positive-results

About Us: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/about_us

Programs: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/programs

How to Help: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/how-to-help

Blog: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog-1

Events: https://www.bethestaryouare.org/events

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We invite you to volunteer, get involved, or make a donation. Make a DONATION through PAYPAL GIVING FUND and PAYPAL with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

PLEASE DONATE

BTSYA receives no government or corporate support. We count on YOU to help us help others. During this pandemic, all of our fundraising events have been canceled, yet we continue to support those in need. We appreciate a direct donation most of all via PAYPAL GIVING FUND at https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

Checks can be sent to PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556

http://www.btsya.org

Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
US

Low Literacy and voting

StarStyle® Empowerment

Fall is Now!

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Low Literacy and voting

StarStyle® Empowerment

How Low Literacy Affects Voting

Post Halloween Messages from Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity

OUR INTERNATIONAL RADIO BROADCASTS!

Fall is Now!

SPONSORED BY THE LAMORINDA WEEKLY

THANK YOU!

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