Blue Ridge Literacy

06/02/2026

🎉Exciting News:

Blue Ridge Literacy is the featured nonprofit at the First Annual Roanoke Valley Book Fair & Swap at Golden Cactus Brewing on Sunday, June 14 (11am–5pm).

We’ll be there with a table from 11:00–3:00—come by, say hi, grab a drink, and browse, swap books, and support local vendors.

We’ll have informational material, copies of Writing from the Heart, and a tip jar. Please share and help spread the word!

Big thanks to War On Books for including us in this event 💙

Mark your calendars, y’all, and get ready for the First Annual ROANOKE VALLEY BOOK FAIR & SWAP at Golden Cactus Brewing!

We’ve pulled together all of your favorite independent booksellers and bookish artisan vendors from across the valley for one BIG, BEAUTIFUL book fair and literary extravaganza! And don’t forget to BRING YOUR OLD BOOKS for the community BOOK SWAP!

SUNDAY JUNE 14

11am - 5pm

At

Featuring your local booksellers:







With gifts, crafts, art, and more from:letterpress


local author .hinton
and

Plus:
Community BOOK SWAP to trade old books with new friends
SPINE & DESIGN bookcraft workshop with .price
Custom, typewritten poetry by
And special guests, Roanoke’s own

A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to , serving the area’s immigrant communities with education and immigration support!
So shop away, give what you can, and make sure to check them out at their info table!

Can’t wait to see you all there!

📚🎉🤓⛰️

05/28/2026

On Friday, May 8, 2026, learners enrolled in Blue Ridge Literacy’s leveled ESOL and Citizenship preparation classes attended Southwest Virginia Ballet’s 35th Anniversary spring concert, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Our group represented Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal, Mexico, and South Korea. This was a wonderful opportunity for our learners and their family members to build community, practice English skills, and become familiar with Roanoke’s arts and cultural events.

After the performance, learners shared how much they enjoyed the experience:
🌟"Amazing ballet. Me and my wife had a really great day!"
🌟"That was really great we love it"
🌟"It was a wonderful experience for me, especially as it was my first time, and I had the opportunity to enjoy it with my two granddaughters!"
🌟"It was an amazing experience for us. My kid, and my friend, loved the performance."

This program is part of Blue Ridge Literacy's Beyond the Classroom Walls Project, supported by Art in Roanoke

05/26/2026

A long weekend is always a pleasure, but even better is seeing all our learners back in class working hard and building their reading, writing, and English communication skills! 💙

Blue Ridge Literacy offers year-round English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes at 5 levels: Pre-Beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Post-Advanced.

📍 In-person classes take place at the Main building of Roanoke Public Libraries downtown.
💻 Online classes are offered on ZoomRoanoke Public Libraries

We also offer Digital Literacy and Citizenship Preparation classes. For more information and registration:

📞 Call 540-265-9339
📲 Send a WhatsApp message to 540-355-3187

05/26/2026

📢 Dont miss the upcoming events with New Horizons Healthcare at the Community Empowerment Center at Booker T. Washington!

🦷 May 27 | Dental services for students + summer program information
❤️ June 11 | Physical exams, immunizations, and behavioral/mental health consultations

⏰ 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Please see the original post for full details and appointment information:

Upcoming events with New Horizons Healthcare!

Wednesday, May 27 (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.):
🦷 Dental services for students in all grades (limited walk-ins accepted)
☀️Summer program information from various community organizations

Thursday, June 11 (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.):
❤️ Physical exams, immunizations, behavioral/mental health consultations (by appointment only)

Note: If you are unable to join us on June 11 and have questions, call New Horizons Behavioral Health at (540) 861-1471 and let them know you have been referred by the Community Empowerment Center.

Thank you to New Horizons for partnering with us for these events! To make an appointment, please call the Community Empowerment Center at (540) 853-2301 or email [email protected].

05/22/2026

🌧️A rainy day turned into an art-filled learning adventure!✨

Today (5/22/2026), learners enrolled in Blue Ridge Literacy’s workforce readiness class visited the Taubman Museum of Art for a hands-on learning experience.

Learners from Afghanistan and Honduras practiced locating key information through artwork descriptions, read books illustrated by LeUyen Pham, and strengthened their speaking skills by sharing personal memories inspired by the exhibits.

This is a great example of the arts fostering community, language, and creativity. This visit is part of Blue Ridge Literacy's Beyond the Classroom Walls Project, made possible by the generous support of Art in Roanoke 💙

05/21/2026

🎉 We’re excited to share that Blue Ridge Literacy has received a grant from ! 💙 These funds will help support our English, health, and digital literacy programs, empowering adult learners to reach their life goals.
A HUGE Thank you to Sam's Club and store manager Phil Baker, for helping adults reach their life goals through literacy!

05/18/2026

✨Local Colors: Celebrating Culture and Community ✨

On Saturday, May 16, 2026, Blue Ridge Literacy learners, volunteers, and staff joined the Local Colors Parade of Nations for the fourth year as the Blue Ridge Literacy International Group.

Our group represented learners from Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Colombia, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Mexico, Nepal, South Korea, South Sudan, Thailand, Togo, and Uganda.

It was a wonderful day of connection, new friendships, and celebrating the diversity of our community!

05/15/2026

Yesterday, Blue Ridge Literacy’s Program Director, Sara Geres, joined WDBJ7’s Here at Home to talk about Blue Ridge Literacy and her work and experiences with the organization.

Thank you to Kimberly McBroom WDBJ7 for the wonderful interview and for recognizing Sara’s work, efforts, and her well-deserved selection as one of the United Way of Virginia's Blue Ridge 2026 Heroes 💙

Read and learn more about the 2026 heroes here: https://uwvbr.org/heroes/

The biggest educational barriers students face and how this educator helps bridge that gap

05/04/2026

📣📣 Are you an advanced-level English language learner looking to strengthen your academic readiness, analytical writing, and public speaking skills? 📣📣

Call Blue Ridge Literacy cy at 540-265-9339, or send a WhatsApp message to (540) 355-3187 to learn more and register for our Post-Advanced English class, offered both in-person and online!

This college-preparation course focuses on developing strong academic reading and writing skills. It also includes engaging learning experiences such as field trips to Virginia Western Community College and health literacy workshops at Radford University Carilion.

To learn more about English proficiency requirements and schedule a registration appointment, please call our office at 540-265-9339 or send a message on WhatsApp to (540) 355-3187