Jesse White awards Adult Literacy Grants

From press release

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded $5.76 million in FY10 Adult Literacy Grants to help students develop and enhance their reading, writing, math and language skills.

“The state of Illinois continues to have some of the finest literacy programs in the nation, and I am delighted to once again provide more than 200 local literacy providers with funding that will allow them to help adult students achieve their utmost potential,” White said. “I will continue to do all I can to ensure that every citizen of this state has access to quality literacy programs.”

More than 22,000 students are served by these literacy programs, with 8,500 volunteer tutors offering their time to provide training. Local literacy programs allow students to obtain skills that put them on the path to lifelong learning.

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 older than 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 and 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, 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 ninth-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 people interested in becoming volunteer tutors to contact the Illinois Adult Learning Hotline at 1-800-321-9511.

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