Media Room
ProLiteracy, Literacy Powerline Unite to Promote Community-wide Literacy
Literacy leaders create virtual collaborative SYRACUSE, NY, Feb. 10, 2009 — ProLiteracy, the world's largest organization of adult literacy and basic education programs, and Literacy Powerline, a national consulting network that supports community literacy initiatives, announced the formation of the National Community Literacy Collaborative to develop national, regional, and local community literacy initiatives. The collaborative will publish and disseminate research and materials through ProLiteracy's publishing division, New Readers Press; establish a community literacy clearinghouse; and coordinate community literacy evaluation practices. ProLiteracy and Literacy Powerline also pledge to create public awareness of the community literacy concept. The goal is to support communities that have engaged in, or wish to establish, initiatives that bring together neighborhoods, educators, business and civic leaders, human service agencies, policymakers, literacy providers, and learners to promote the importance of literacy for all age levels. An early undertaking of the collaborative is to build the capacity of literacy coalitions and ProLiteracy affiliates to meet the needs of job seekers and incumbent workers with limited literacy skills. "An entire community is affected when a significant number of its adult residents struggle with basic reading, writing, math, and computer skills. It impacts economic development, health care, safety, and the community tax base," said David C. Harvey, ProLiteracy president and CEO. "It takes the whole community to solve a community-wide problem." "The basic concept in community literacy initiatives is for all community components to collaborate. It's only natural, then, for members of the literacy community to collaborate as well," said Margaret Doughty, founder and managing partner of Literacy Powerline. "Literacy Powerline's vision has always been '100% literacy through 100% community involvement.' ProLiteracy shares that vision."
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