Opportunities for Evanston-serving organizations
Thanks to our partnership with the Evanston Community Foundation,
Literacy Works currently has free coaching opportunities available for Evanston-serving organizations!
Health Literacy Technical Assistance
Thanks to our partnership with the Cook County Department of Public Health, Literacy Works currently has free coaching and training opportunities available for CHW grantees!
How we can support your work
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Meet one-on-one with a plain language expert to get feedback on your written content.
Don't have time to meet? You can also submit work for written feedback.
Attend a plain language training to learn strategies to make your content easier for your audience to understand and use.
For trainings with a fee, use code CCDPH to register for free
Attend a community literacy training to learn tools for connecting with folks from a diverse range of backgrounds.
For trainings with a fee, use code CCDPH to register for free
Bring a plain language training to your organization. We can present on a wide range of topics and tailor training content to your work.
Build your clear communication skills with our recorded webinars, blog posts, and informational one-pagers.
Plain Language Coaching
Make your content easier to understand
As you work to address your organizational health literacy goals, we're here to help create communications and processes that work for your community. Sign up for a 1-on-1 or small group coaching session to talk about your materials or processes, and get concrete, actionable feedback.
What we can work on together
Emails, newsletters, handbooks, flyers, policy documents – you name it! If you have content that you want to make easier for anyone in your network to navigate, understand, and take action on, we’re happy to talk with you!
How coaching works
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Choose the materials or processes you want to work on.
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Schedule a 1-hour session with Sarah using the calendar below.
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Share a document or excerpt of a document (1-3 pages) with Sarah at least 2 business days before the meeting.
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Meet with Sarah. She will ask additional clarifying questions, offer a variety of suggestions, and troubleshoot with you.
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Apply what you talked about to your work. After the meeting, Sarah will share an overview of key notes, some samples for you to take back to your organization, and any relevant resources to help you in transforming your content.
For longer or more complex projects, multiple sessions may be scheduled.
Don't have time for a meeting?
While most participants say they get the biggest benefit from 1-on-1 coaching, we know you're busy. If you're having trouble finding a time to meet, submit your materials with this form. We'll send you written feedback within 10 working days.
Schedule your coaching session
Common questions about coaching
What type of feedback do you provide?
We're not here to critique your work. Our feedback focuses on:
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explaining words that might be confusing or new for your audience
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using design features that make content easier to read, like headings and empty space
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identifying sentences and paragraphs that could be shorter or clearer
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highlighting ways to make your materials more accessible for people with disabilities
What type of materials should I use?
This session is for you. Choose what's going to be most helpful for your work.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind:
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Use something you have the authority to change.
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We only have an hour, so if your document is multiple pages, choose an excerpt to focus on.
In the past, people have brought:
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Program flyers and brochures
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Forms and surveys
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Presentation slides
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Educational handouts
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Email templates
What format should my materials be in?
Your materials can be in any format. We have access to Canva, Google suite, Adobe Pro, and Microsoft Office. It's easiest if you can share an editable file, but that's not required.
What if I want to talk about materials I haven't made yet?
That's great! We can use this time to brainstorm and plan together. You should still email Sarah what you want to make and any versions or ideas you already have. It's ok if it's just a draft!
I have more questions I need answered before I schedule my coaching session.
No problem! You can either:
Training for your staff
Bring us to a staff meeting
We know it can be challenging to find time for professional development. To make the most of the time you already have together, we can join an existing staff meeting to talk about plain language and clear communication strategies. We offer short and free options that can fit into the time you already have set aside for staff meetings and training.
We could talk about:
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Talking about complex health topics in person and over the phone
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Checking for understanding, so you know your audience is getting the information they need
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Tailoring content, like flyers, to share in both digital + in-person spaces
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Creating handouts, social media posts, and other educational content on health topics
Email Sarah at sarah@litworks.org or schedule a quick chat to talk about what fits your needs.
Request a tailored training
If you have the capacity, bring us in for a tailored training (PDF). In these low-cost sessions, we work with you to create a customized learning experience for your staff. Submit the Training Interest Form to begin collaborating.