FACT:
- More than 20% of adults read at or below a fifth grade level- far below the level needed to earn a living
wage. The National Adult Literacy Survey found that over 40 million Americans age 16 and older have significant literacy
needs.
FACT- Literacy and Children:
- As the education level of adults improves, so does their children’s success in school. Helping
low-literate adults improve their basic skills has a direct and measurable impact on both the education and quality of life
of their children.
FACT- Literacy and poverty:
- 43% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty.
- 17% of people with the lowest literacy skills receive food stamps
- 70% of people with the lowest literacy skills have no full or part time job.
- Workers who lack a high school diploma earn a mean monthly income of $452 compared to $1,829 for those
with a college degree.
In 2002, a group of concerned organizations and individuals convened to discuss
ways to positively impact literacy in our area. Meeting monthly, the LaPorte County Literacy Council has successfully created
programs that reach pre-schoolers for kindergarten readiness, children entering the school systems, students who "fall into
the gaps" of current literacy programs, and adults who need literacy skills to find a higher quality of life.
Member organizations of the LaPorte County Literacy Council include:
-
Adult Education
-
BabyTALK
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Barker Woods Enrichment Center
-
Communities in Schools
-
Dunebrook
-
Even Start Family Resource Center
-
Healthy Communities of LaPorte County
-
H.O.P.E. Cultural Center for Social & Economic Growth
-
Ivy Tech State College
-
La Porte Community School Corporation
-
La Porte County Public Library
-
La Porte Family YMCA
-
Michigan City Mayor's Office
-
Michigan City Public Library
-
Purdue University North Central
-
READ La Porte County, Inc.
-
Reading is Fundamental
-
Safe Harbor
-
The Discovery Alliance
-
Unity Foundation of La Porte County
Our coalition is strongly involved with efforts to create a regional literacy
strategic plan. The Literacy Council merged its efforts with Mayor Chuck Oberlie's Task Force on Literacy (Michigan
City) to work together to benefit the county, and we are working closely with The Discovery Alliance's Northwest Indiana regional
literacy task force.
For more information about LaPorte County literacy projects, call Sandy Gleim
at
219/326-6260 or send email to her at sandy@laportecounty.net.