Helen Jane Wilson

Special Honorary Achievement

Helen Jane Wilson retired in April 2003 after 19 years as the Coordinator of the Maplewood Career Center Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) program. She retired in June 2003 from the Portage County Literacy Coalition, where she had been Director since 1990. She is also a retired teacher from Ravenna City Schools, where she taught Social Studies for 23 years, served as Social Studies Department Chair, National Honor Society Advisor, and Freshman Class Advisor. Helen Jane is a native of Portage County, Ohio. She was born in Kent, graduated from Roosevelt High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Hiram College and a Masters in Education from Kent State University. While teaching in the Ravenna City School System, Helen Jane became involved in adult literacy as a tutor and then as part-time coordinator for the ABLE Program at Maplewood Career Center, expanding her role to full-time coordinator after retiring from teaching. Helen Jane’s commitment to literacy is also reflected in her volunteer position as the first and only director of the Portage County Literacy Coalition (PCLC), an organization she helped to establish in 1989 to support the ABLE program through tutor/student recruitment, tutor training, staff development, promotion of literacy awareness and funding. During Helen Jane’s career in literacy, she was also instrumental in establishing the Ravenna City School’s EVEN START Family Education Program and served as Coordinator of this program for five years. Helen Jane is a member of Leadership Portage County Class of 2000, Ravenna Kiwanis, Eastern Star, Beta Sorosis, Retired Teachers Association, and charter member of Coterie III in Kent. Married 57 years to Don Wilson, Jr., retired real estate developer, Helen Jane and Don have five sons, all graduates of Ravenna High School: Don, III of New York City; Jeffrey of Boise, Idaho; Gary of Vancouver, Washington; Richard of St. Louis, Missouri; and William of Bethesda, Maryland. They have 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

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