Literacy Council of Garland County

The Literacy Council of Garland County is a non-profit organization striving to enhance success in daily life by building literacy skills. Our vision is to remove barriers to achieve a 100% literacy rate in our community. We seek to provide free tutoring to adults in the areas of basic reading, math, digital literacy, and English as a Second Language. In our 2018-2023 five year strategic plan, we established 4 initiatives to direct our work. First, to impact the community by increasing the number of adult learners we serve by identifying and implementing strategies that attract those in need to our programs. Second, to fund this impact by increasing the financial giving to meet the needs of the program to create a stable environment in which our programs can thrive. Our third initiative is to create a culture that is an exceptional place to volunteer and work for those who selflessly give their time and energy to support our mission. Last, we endeavor to maintain a safe, secure meeting environment for adult learners, tutors, volunteers, and the community.

Our primary strategy for improving adult literacy is through one-on-one and small group classes for adults provided by volunteer tutors. These classes are planned around the needs of students such as scheduling, demographics, transportation, and location. We work with students to identify possible barriers to their engaging in tutoring. For example, we established an English as a second language class with childcare for parents needing to improve their English skills. We also recruit and train volunteer tutors. This includes training volunteers in tutoring methods, supporting student growth, assessment, and more. In recent years, we have expanded our course offerings to include basic math and digital literacy. Many adults lack the basic skills needed to function effectively in the digital age. We have established assessments, programs, and support for adults to gain these skills. As other needs arise for special topic classes that help support adults in being successful, we will continue to pursue meeting those needs.

Our council has been open since 1983. We are perfectly poised for a season of growth. At this time, we have two part time staff who are passionate and organized to pursue growth and expansion in all areas of our mission. Our board is actively engaged and enthusiastic in support of our goals. The board has created a clear plan for progress in meeting the literacy needs of our community and is consistently evaluating progress on that plan. We have long-term established relationships and support with the statewide and national organizations for supporting adult literacy including the Adult Learning Alliance and Arkansas Literacy Councils. These agencies provide us with professional development, technology support and more. We have ample facilities to support tutor pairs and small groups, along with larger groups for volunteer training. Our community has supported our organization in the past 2 years by funding 20-30% of our budget with donations.

In the course of our 37 year history we have had quite an impact on our community. In the 2017-2018 year we served 120 adults in our community. Our focus at this time is on transformation. Our impact has lessened in recent years, and we have a renewed passion and vision for our mission. The board has sought out and hired an enthusiastic and driven director who has set intention and purpose to our actions. The council has expanded our technology to provide a broader range of services available to students and support our tutors in new ways. We are seeking to expand our partnerships in our community. This includes better partnerships with schools to support parents in their districts, connecting with local businesses to improve their workforce while securing financial support, and coordinating with other anti-poverty efforts to expand awareness of our services to adults trying to improve their lives.