LitNet welcomes new staff member, will open new learning center in Pittsfield

Literacy Network has announced an expansion that includes a new LitNet Learning Center on North Street in Pittsfield and the hiring of a bilingual learner liaison. Leesly Collins, who is originally from Colombia and has been learning English with LitNet since 2022, joined the organization on August 21 and will work part time out of the new center. She brings experience in community advocacy, health education, and quality assurance, along with a degree in food engineering from La Salle University in Bogotá and a community health worker certification from Berkshire Community College. Collins will serve as a point of contact for LitNet’s 235 learners, more than 95 percent of whom are Spanish-speaking immigrants working with a volunteer tutor. The Pittsfield Learning Center, located in the Crawford Mall at 137 North Street, opens September 1 and will host tutoring sessions, workshops, meetings, and group classes, while also giving learners a welcoming place to study, read, or regroup between work and school. Open house events will be announced in October for November.