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Job Literacy

In today’s workplace, literacy levels and job skill development go hand in hand. Higher literacy levels improve our economy by helping adults get family-supporting jobs.

Family Literacy

Parents who have at least basic literacy skills can make a big difference to their children’s future by supporting them in school and engaging in family literacy activities.

Health Literacy

Adults with low literacy skills are hospitalized at much higher rates than those with more literacy. Better health literacy can mean healthier lives and saved money.

Literacy is our most critical skill …

… and it can mean the difference between a life well lived and a life of hardship. Unfortunately, more than 43 million Americans read at or below a basic level—with nearly 100,000 in central Arkansas alone struggling with basic literacy skills that most of us take for granted.

Teaching an adult to read has a profound and lasting impact on their ability to function successfully within our community by improving their ability to find and retain family-supporting jobs, engage in family literacy activities, and help make informed decisions that will ensure healthy lives.

Since 1986, Literacy Action has trained volunteer literacy tutors to provide basic literacy and English language instruction to thousands of adults in central Arkansas. Our success depends on the support of individuals and organizations who believe that literacy has the power to build and transform communities. We invite you to become engaged by learning more about adult literacy issues, volunteering as a literacy tutor, or by making a donation.

How We Do It

Literacy Action offers a welcoming community for adults to improve their literacy skills and enhance their quality of life—for free. With support from volunteers, donors, partners, and the community at large, Literacy Action invests in Central Arkansas’ greatest asset: our people.

Our volunteer instructors and tutors build a collaborative learning environment where adult students can expand their reading, writing, and speaking skills. Our personalized approach allows students to shape the instruction they receive, leading to improved literacy and life skills.

Our Model

INSTRUCTOR-LED:

Qualified volunteer instructors teach relevant, responsive, and level-appropriate curriculum for small groups of students in a classroom or online environment.

TUTOR-DRIVEN:

Trained volunteer tutors help our students meet their individual literacy and communication needs in one-on-one tutoring sessions, usually twice a week.

STUDENT-CENTERED:

Each student identifies academic and personal goals, and tutors design lessons to help them meet these goals. Students and tutors can meet for lessons at a location and time that is convenient for them.

Help Literacy Action thrive with your gift today

We cannot do it without you! Help us continue the fight against illiteracy in our community and improve the lives of our students one word at a time. Your gift helps Literacy Action thrive, grow, and serve more of the nearly 100,000 students in the central Arkansas area that cannot read.

Literacy Action Stories

GAIN Client Inspires Others

GAIN Client, Eric, Inspires Others to Improve Literacy By: Liz Hall, AmeriCorps VISTA, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas When Eric enrolled as a student at Literacy Action last fall, he set two goals: go back to school and get his driver's license. Despite having...

ESL Classes Offer More than English

ESL Classes Offer More than English: Students Find Friendship, Self-worth and Community By: Liz Hall, AmeriCorps VISTA, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas Echoing through the halls of the former schoolhouse at St. Edward Catholic Church are laughter, worldly accents,...

From Gangbanger to Bishop Bodyguard

From Gangbanger to Bishop Bodyguard "I chose the streets instead of my education." When Michael was going to elementary school, it simply wasn’t required for him to attend regularly. “I wanted to be my own person and do what I wanted to do. They didn’t make you go....

Project LIFT Brings Families, Books Together

$1,500 parish grant boosts new family reading program at Little Rock learning center By: Aprille Hanson, Associate Editor, Arkansas Catholic, February 10, 2018 In the rush of everyday life, reading with a child can easily be pushed aside. Couple that with knowing...

Students (2019)

Instruction Hours (2019)

Tutors (2019)

Years Established

Get In Touch

Little Rock – NEW LOCATION!
9301 N. Rodney Parham Road
inside Grace Presbyterian Church Education Building
Little Rock, AR 72227
(501) 372-7323
Email: sstandridge@literacyactionar.org
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 9:00am – 4:00pm

Conway
1900 Tyler Street | Conway, AR 72034
(501) 329-7323
Email: lauralatch@literacyactionar.org