Increasing Resources for Literacy Programs

The demand for literacy services in the central Texas region continues to greatly outpace the supply of services. Non-profit, faith-based and governmental literacy programs are struggling to prevent illiteracy and address the increasing need for adult education and English as a Second Language classes.  The Literacy Coalition works to increase local service capacity and enhance the quality of literacy services at partner agencies through identification of new resources, such as volunteer teachers, client supports, financial resources, and other in-kind support.

Collaborative fund raising efforts: The Coalition supports fund development efforts of its partner organizations in several ways.  First, through an on-line literacy grant directory, the Coalition lists national, state and local foundations interested in funding literacy-related programs. Partner organizations have access to detailed, up-to-date information on potential foundation supporters.  In addition, the Coalition works to identify collaborative grant opportunities to promote shared program resources, seamless service delivery, and increased resources for innovative literacy initiatives between several organizations. Finally, the Coalition helps identify professional development opportunities for resource development and connects partner organizations to these opportunities.

Volunteer Literacy Instructor Training and Referrals: The Literacy Coalition is currently expanding its programming to provide a literacy instruction training program to increase the number of well-trained volunteer instructors for literacy services at partner organizations by recruiting, training, and developing a retention program for new and existing volunteers. Volunteers currently serve as instructors in the majority of local literacy programs.  In addition, more evidence-based training is needed for new and existing staff and volunteers of partner organizations. Volunteers will be referred to their most appropriate organizational home using survey information gathered regarding the needs and opportunities of partner organizations. 

GED Scholarships: The LCCT supports prepared, low-income students to take GED. LCCT began a program to pay GED (high school equivalency degree exam) testing fees for financially needy students deemed adequately prepared by their teachers at partner organizations of the Coalition.  By addressing this last barrier to obtaining their high school equivalency degrees, the Coalition directly supports their progress toward obtaining a better paying job.

Workplace Literacy Initiative:  The Literacy Coalition is currently spearheading a community-wide effort to begin to assess the opportunities, needs, challenges, and best practices in workplace literacy. The collaborative community assessment will identify the various needs for literacy services among employees of local business sectors, funding priorities of potential funding streams, and successful models used by workforce development providers and literacy service providers. Opportunities identified through the process will inform collaborative efforts to engage all sectors of the community to initiate sustainable workplace literacy classes in central Texas.

Literacy Service Coordination

The Literacy Coalition supports literacy services across the lifespan, including pre-literacy services, programs targeted at young children and families with young children, supports for school-age children, and services for adults at all ages and literacy levels. The Coalition works to connect these literacy programs to the broader network of community resources in order to build a more seamless service delivery system for clients seeking literacy services at various levels and for various populations.

Referral Hotline: The Central Texas Literacy Hotline serves as a referral service for potential clients and volunteers to literacy providers in the region.  The free phone line maintains an updated provider directory with detailed information on the services and volunteer needs of each organization and utilizes the directory to match clients and volunteers to the appropriate organization. Having a single point of contact eliminates the frustration a client or volunteer might experience in contacting organizations individually to find a match, resulting in greater efficiency in meeting our community’s literacy needs. 

Literacy Program Directory: A well-maintained, detailed directory of local literacy programs facilitates match-making of those offering services and those in need of services.  The Directory can be distributed in hard copy to organizations needing to make client referrals to literacy classes.  In addition, the Directory is available on-line for fast and convenient searches.

Provider Network Luncheons: The Coalition coordinates quarterly meetings of the network of local literacy providers. These meetings are an opportunity for the staff of literacy programs to learn more about each others’ programs and services.  In addition, the luncheons are an opportunity for literacy providers to share best-practice ideas and resources, and learn about other area resources to benefit their organizations and clients.  In addition, the meetings offer professional development components and updates on opportunities offered them through the LCCT.

Public Awareness Campaigns

The Coalition works with literacy providers and other community partners to increase regional awareness of literacy issues.  Many residents of the central Texas region are not aware of the pervasiveness or the economic implications of our community’s high rate of people who cannot read, write, or speak English well enough to obtain a living-wage job.  The Coalition works to increase awareness of local literacy needs, services, and related issues in order to improve policy direction, civic engagement and fiscal investment in literacy services.

Literacy Day at the Capitol: Adult literacy students are invited to learn how to access state representatives and senators and keep them abreast of current literacy issues. This program not only educates legislators, but also engages learners in the civic process. A training session precedes legislative visits and a de-briefing luncheon followed.

Will Read:  The LCCT is one of the few literacy coalitions that have a mascot. Will Read, the 6’6” reading armadillo, is available to make personal appearances wherever learning is valued.

Health Literacy: The LCCT has created strategic partnerships with healthcare providers and non-profits to raise awareness and develop solutions around the issue of low health literacy.  In the coming year, the LCCT will develop and distribute teaching resources on health literacy, including modules for literacy classrooms and training on the effective use of the modules. In addition, the LCCT will connect healthcare providers with trainings and resources on health literacy and effective communication techniques for interacting with patients.  Finally, the LCCT will develop a public awareness campaign to increase the community’s awareness of health literacy issues by creating materials for public relations and social marketing, developing press releases and information pieces, and holding a forum to release successes and resources developed.

Community Impact

The shorter term impact of the Coalition’s efforts is measured by the number of clients receiving meaningful referrals, the number of volunteers referred to partner organizations, the number of funding opportunities identified and pursued, the number of professional development opportunities identified and provided, the number of media contacts and contacts with elected officials. 

These measures all contribute to the Coalition’s long-term community impact of

1. Increasing the availability of literacy services through increased capacity at providers,
2. Increasing the quality of literacy services to optimize impact,
3. Increasing the community’s awareness of literacy services to improve civic engagement, investment, and policy direction, and
4. Improving regional planning and coordination to improve use of existing community resources.