Jesse White Awards Adult Literacy Grants
SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded $6.39 million in FY09 Adult Literacy Grants to help students develop and enhance their reading, writing, math and language skills.
“Every year it is a pleasure to make these grant awards to local literacy programs to help them provide the education literacy students need to reach their utmost potential,” White said. “These educational services will benefit more than 20,000 students this year. More than 8,000 dedicated volunteer tutors will train these students. I will continue to do all I can to ensure that every citizen of this state has access to quality literacy programs.”
The Adult Literacy Program is administered by the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library Literacy Office and awards grants in three categories:
- Adult Volunteer Literacy Grants provide training for volunteers who tutor adults over the age of 16 in basic reading, math, writing or language skills. Participating literacy providers may include libraries, volunteer tutoring organizations, community based organizations, community colleges, regional offices of education, schools (individual & public), pre-school programs, school districts, domestic violence shelters, and correctional facilities.
- Family Literacy Grants provide educational services to parents and children to enhance their basic reading, math, writing or language skills together and separately. Participation by the whole family increases the benefits of the instruction. Projects must partner with an adult literacy provider agency, child-at-risk agency and a library.
- The Workplace Skills Enhancement Project provides on-site instructional services to the employees of Illinois businesses to enable the employees to increase their basic reading, math, writing or language skills, keep their jobs and increase their chances for promotion. Eligible employees read at or below the 9th grade level. Grantees must match the grant award and may also provide instructional services to prospective employees. The fiscal agent and submitting agency may be either the educational partner or the business partner.
Secretary White urges persons interested in becoming volunteer tutors to contact the Illinois Adult Learning Hotline at 1-800-321-9511.
View the Adult Literacy Grant Recipients
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