About Us
 

LVNRV provides free instruction for adults in basic reading, writing and math; GED preparation; ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages); basic computer skills.  Skill UP NRV is an initiative to help adults achieve employment goals through literacy and language acquisition and employability skill development.  LVNRV also provides family literacy programming to give parents the skills to read with their children. We have a learning center at our location at 195 West Main Street in Christiansburg, and provide tutoring at community locations in Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski counties, and the City of Radford.


Learner-Centered    

Our students play an active role in planning their own learning.  Tutors provide instruction that is tailored to the student’s goals, learning style and pace of learning.  LVNRV cooperates with local libraries, educational institutions and community organizations to provide convenient tutoring locations in each locality.

Volunteer Driven    

The power of LVNRV comes from our volunteer tutors.  These trained, dedicated tutors help adult students achieve their literacy goals in a safe, confidential setting.  Whether they are teaching a student to read, to strengthen workplace skills, or to prepare for citizenship, LVNRV tutors have a powerful and enduring impact on the lives of the students they serve.

Non-profit   

Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Charitable donations and foundation gifts enable LVNRV to help area residents strengthen their literacy skills for personal independence and better employment.

Our Mission

The mission of Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley is to foster, support, advocate for, and instruct adults in the New River Valley who seek opportunities to achieve greater independence through literacy.

We are a community-based literacy program that provides free one-to-one or small group tutoring at a location and time that is convenient to both the learner and the tutor. We are a United Way Partner Agency and an affiliate member of ProLiteracy.

Board of Directors

  • Honorary Member, Nikki Giovanni, poet

  • Barry Anderson

  • Lois Davis

  • Elizabeth Dore

  • Karim Khan, Chair

  • Allison Long

  • Brittany Shelton

  • Elizabeth Sensabaugh, Vice Chair

  • Jane Swing

  • Yvonne Thayer, Vice Chair

  • Sally Warburton, Secretary

Staff

Ginny Ayers took the helm as Executive Director in January 2022. In her previous position as Director of Alumni Chapter Programs at Virginia Tech, Ginny led alumni volunteer management and fundraising programs for 14 years; she earned a Masters in Education from Virginia Tech in 2014. Ginny came to LVNRV through our tutor training program; having worked in the manufacturing and higher education sectors in the New River Valley, she developed an interest in empowering our neighbors to access the resources they need to achieve their goals. She believes literacy gives us the power to seek out and understand information, giving us independence to make choices, to advocate for ourselves, and to learn about our community and world. Ginny lives in Radford with her husband, son, cat, and four dogs.

 
 

Linda Jilk is a part-time Program Coordinator. Linda believes in the power and importance of education as a catalyst for positive change in lives and communities. After earning her Masters degree in Teaching Students with Specific Learning Disabilities from Virginia Tech, she devoted her career to providing learners with access to skills and knowledge to empower them to bring about the changes they wish to see in their lives. She has more than 20 years experience teaching literacy, math, GED, workforce readiness/life skills, and English as a Second Language to adults and teens. She has worked with LVNRV for more than 10 years in a variety of positions, including Executive Director and Grant Writer, and she is currently employed in a role focused on facilitating and supporting adult literacy learning.

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Lisa Quesenberry came to Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley as Operations Manager in 2016. Lisa’s degree is in Administrative Technology from New River Community College in Dublin, Virginia. She has experience in adult education as a Student Support Specialist. Lisa resides in Christiansburg, VA with her husband Randy and Rusty the cat. She enjoys volunteering for events in the community and local festivals, to provide outreach to people who can benefit from resources in the area. Lisa believes that the best jobs in the world involve a chance to be a small part of helping someone improve their quality of life.

Anne Rolison Abbott is a part-time Program Coordinator. Anne is working with our growing number of learners and tutors to help learners achieve their goals. She provides individualized support and guidance to our tutors and manages our Family READS program, which aims to give parents the skills they need to help their children succeed in school. Anne has been a literacy tutor with LVNRV since 2007 and has worked with both adult basic education and ESOL learners over the past 20 years. She enjoys volunteering with the refugee resettlement programs in Roanoke and Blacksburg and believes strongly in the power of literacy to change lives.

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Brittany Williams is the Adult Basic Education Program Coordinator. With a masters from Radford University, Brittany spent the last ten years as an educator for Pulaski County Public Schools where she specialized in elementary education and reading remediation. Brittany understands how literacy is a part of many aspects of everyday life and is very passionate about breaking the cycle of illiteracy within families and their communities. She has many ideas and is excited for the opportunity to implement those ideas in ways that benefit and meet the needs of adults in the New River Valley.