Since 1970, the Literacy Council of Wake County (LCWC) has been teaching adults how to read and write better through the use of volunteer, one-on-one tutors. The LCWC also has an English as a Second Language (ESL) program designed for students whose native language is not English. In 2009, the LCWC served more than 600 adults in Wake County. By training tutors and matching them with students the LCWC helped over 500 adults reach their personal literacy goals last year alone. All of our tutoring services are provided free of charge. We are very proud of the fact that 94% of our organization is comprised of volunteers.
In 2005, the Literacy Council of Wake County began a Family Literacy Program. Project LIFT (Literacy Instruction for Families Together) is a Family Literacy Program for family caregivers with children under the age of 5 whose first language is not English. The program fosters inter-generational learning by providing family caregivers with English language and life skills alongside their children.
In 2009, the Literacy Council started its newest program, the Juvenile Literacy Center. This program works with youth (ages 6 to 17) to improve their reading, writing and math skills. Students are referred by the Juvenile Court to this program, with the intention of helping these students re-enter school or the workforce in a more positive and constructive manner.
As a small volunteer organization, each of the 10,000 hours that volunteers put into the work of the LCWC last year was crucial to our success. Although we helped 500 adults reach their personal literacy goals last year, the LCWC still has a lot of work to do.
For more information about our volunteer tutor trainings please look at the Workshop Training Schedule. Are you a college student who wants to help at-risk youth learn to read? Click here for news about the Juvenile Literacy Center!
The Literacy Council is now a JobLink Access Point! Click here to find out more about the new services we are providing.
The Literacy Council is a proud winner of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation's 2012 Ribbon of Hope Grant!
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