Literacy Action Inc

TO BUILD BETTER FUTURES BY EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS WITH LITERACY, LIFE AND WORK SKILLS AND OUR VISION IS TO BREAK THE INTERGENERATIONAL CYCLE OF LOW LITERACY AND POVERTY.

LITERACY ACTION IS THE OLDEST AND LARGEST ADULT BASIC EDUCATION NONPROFIT IN THE SOUTHEAST, WITH CLASSES OFFERED AT ITS MAIN CAMPUS IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA AS WELL AS AT SEVERAL COMMUNITY-BASED LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE METRO AREA. LITERACY ACTION PROVIDES TUITION-FREE AND STIGMA-FREE CLASSES IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION. THESE CLASSES INCLUDE READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING, MATHEMATICS, HSE PREPARATION, FAMILY LITERACY, DIGITAL LITERACY, ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL), AND WORKFORCE LITERACY. MOST CLASSES ARE OFFERED IN 8-WEEK QUARTERS WITH SPECIALIZED PROGRAMMING DURING THE SUMMER. CERTAIN FAST TRACK PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED AT SELECT LEVELS TO HELP STUDENTS REACH THEIR GOALS MORE QUICKLY. IN GEORGIA, ONE IN SIX ADULTS READ AT OR BELOW A 6TH GRADE LEVEL. THE IMPACT OF THIS CANNOT BE OVERSTATED: LOW-LITERATE ADULTS EXPERIENCE HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY, HOSPITALIZATION, AND INCARCERATION RATES THAN OTHER ADULTS. ADDITIONALLY, IN THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA, 1 IN 10 ADULTS DO NOT HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA - A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO OBTAINING STABLE EMPLOYMENT, EARNING A LIVING WAGE, AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR A FAMILY. INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT DISPARITIES FOR UNDEREDUCATED ADULTS INCREASE DISPROPORTIONATELY AMOUNT WOMEN, IMMIGRANTS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. ONE OF THE MOST TROUBLING STATISTICS ABOUT LOW LITERACY IN ADULTS IS THE EFFECT IT HAS ON THE NEXT GENERATION: 72% OF THE CHILDREN OF LOW-LITERATE ADULTS GO ON TO READ BELOW GRADE LEVEL THEMSELVES, PERPETUATING THE INTERGENERATIONAL CYCLE OF LOW LITERACY AND POVERTY. WITHOUT ACCESS TO THESE PROGRAMS, MANY OF ATLANTAS UNDEREMPLOYED ADULTS WOULD CONTINUE TO STRUFFLE TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN ASPIRATION AND OPPORTUNITY. DURING FY22 LITERACY ACTION ENROLLED 1,963 STUDENTS IN OVER 100 ACADEMIC CLASSES, LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS AND AWARDED 1,442 PROGRAM COMPLETION CERTIFICATES TO 432 STUDENTS. LITERACY ACTIONS PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO ENSURE THESE STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE FOR LIVING WAGE JOBS, TO QUALIFY FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION OR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, TO BE EQUIPPED TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDRENS AND GRANDCHILDRENS SUCCESS IN SCHOOL, AND TO IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. LITERACY ACTIONS SUCCESS METRICS FOR ITS CORE CLASSES INCLUDE STUDENT PERSISTENCE FOR PROGRAM COMPLETION AND ACADEMIC PROGRESS, WHICH THE ORGANIZATION TRACKS FOR EVERY 40-60 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION. ACADEMIC PROGRESS IS MEASURED USING THE TEST OF ADULT BASIC EDUCATION OR, IN THE CASE OF ESL STUDENTS, THE TABE CLAS-E EXAM WHICH IS DESIGNED FOR LISTENING, WRITING, AND SPEAKING SKILLS. DURING THE FY22 YEAR, THESE POST-TESTED STUDENTS DEMONSTRATED A 146% INCREASE IN MEASURABLE SKILLS GAINS BASED ON THESE METRICS. GROWTH IN ADULT LEARNERS SELF-CONFIDENCE IS ALSO KEY TO THEIR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS. LITERACY ACTION CONDUCTS A SURVEY AT THE END OF EACH QUARTER TO EVALUATE STUDENTS CONFIDENCE IN COMPLETING DAILY TASKS AND IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY. SURVEYS CONDUCTED DURING THE FY22 PROGRAM YEAR FOUND THAT 96% FELT THEIR JOB PERFORMANCE HAD IMPROVED. 98% SAID THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE COURSE TO A FRIEND. STUDENTS THAT ENTER THE PROGRAM TYPICALLY BRING AT LEAST 5 MORE STUDENTS THROUGH WORD-OF-MOUTH. LITERACY ACTION HAD TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES IN LIGHT OF THE EXTENDED COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY INCLUDING PIVOTING FULLY FROM IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION TO A VIRTUAL LEARNING MODEL. DESPITE THIS SHIFT, WE HAD AN 81% RETENTION RATE AND AWARDED 1,442 PROGRAM COMPLETION CERTIFICATES. THIS SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION OF OUR STUDENTS TO SEEK BETTER LIVES FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES DESPITE MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO SUCCESS, AND THE FLEXIBILITY OF OUR STAFF TO MEET EACH AND EVERY STUDENT WHO COMES TO US WHERE THEY ARE ON THEIR PATH TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT. ADAPTATION TO THE VIRTUAL METHOD OF LEARNING DURING COVID OPENED DOORS TO HYBRID LEARNING AS WE MOVE BACK INTO THE SAFE-ZONE ERA. BY TRANSITIONING TO A ROBUST HYBRID MODEL OF INSTRUCTION, LITERACY ACTION HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONVERT MORE REGISTRATIONS TO ENROLLMENTS AND ULTIMATELY ADVANCE MORE LOW LITERATE ADULTS TOWARD A BRIGHTER FUTURE. LITERACY ACTION HAS STARTED LOOKING AT WAYS OF INVESTING IN THE PLATFORMS THAT MAKE HYBRID LEARNING AVAILABLE FOR ALL THOSE WHO FACE BARRIERS TO IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE, ALLOWING US TO REACH A LARGER SECTION OF THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY. LITERACY ACTIONS E3 MODEL DOES NOT STOP AFTER THE STUDENT REACHES HIS/HER EDUCATION GOAL, BUT FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING THE WHOLE CAREER PATHWAY FOR THE STUDENT. WHETHER THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS ATTENDING COLLEGE, SECURING A BETTER PAYING JOB, OR PURSUING A CAREER THE E3 MODEL SUPPORTS THE OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY. LITERACY ACTION CONTINUES TO ADAPT ITS PROGRAM DELIVERY MODEL TO BEST MEET THE VARIOUS NEEDS OF OUR DIVERSE STUDENT BODY AS WELL AS OUR GREATER COMMUNITY, WHILE BEING MINDFUL OF EVOLVING IN A WAY THAT STAYS TRUE TO OUR ORIGINAL MISSION OF TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH LITERACY EDUCATION.