Nick Houlson

After earning a Masters degree from the University of Arizona and volunteering as an Intermediate English teaching assistant, Nick brought his skills in language, teaching and relationship-building (and his dead-pan sense of humor!) to the Open Door Learning Center at Lake Street as a Minnesota Literacy Leader, to pilot and refine a new Navigator program. This new Navigator program helped adult learners express and identify pathways to achieve their academic, professional and life goals.

Project description:

Education is a pathway out of poverty; data correlates better employment and income with increased education. Yet adult learners struggle to persist. In pursuit of persistence strategies, the Literacy Minnesota Volunteer Navigator program offers one-on-one help in support of learner articulated academic, professional and/or life goals. The literacy leader project provided critical infrastructure via centralized resources and systems to maximize Volunteer Navigation effectiveness to support student's ideal outcomes. The systems cultivated by the VISTA established long-term sustainability, with an ultimate goal to launch and scale the Volunteer Navigator positions across the state.