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Who we are:
Literacy Texas is the statewide coalition for Texas, connecting and equipping literacy programs through resources, training, networking and advocacy.
Our vision is that every literacy organization in Texas will have the resources it needs to help as many people as possible learn basic literacy skills in order to participate fully in society.
How
Literacy Texas
helps literacy organizations:
Literacy Texas provides resources, training, networking and advocacy throughout the state.
- Resources - reimbursement funds for professional development
are made available to Literacy Texas
by Texas
LEARNS through the Volunteer Training Initiative administered by the Texas Center for the
Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL).
- Training - Training and Coaching Emerging Literacy Coalitions, Bridges to Practice, New Directors Training, Training of Trainers, ProLiteracy accreditation and Literacy Texas Annual Conferences.
- Networking - communication venues through regional forums and listserv email distribution
- Advocacy - influencing public policy and leadership through initiatives
such as Literacy
Day at the Capitol in Austin.
Who can benefit from
Literacy Texas:
Any regional literacy coalition and nonprofit literacy program that works with low literacy learners, including volunteer literacy programs and adult basic education programs, and individual who are interested in improving literacy in Texas.
To view a Power Point presentation about Literacy Texas, click on this link.
Upcoming Literacy Texas Events
• Coalition Training March 30-31 Austin
• Training of Trainers May 1-2 Edinburg
• Annual Conference July 27-28 Austin
• New Directors Training July 29 Austin
Message from Interim Executive Director:
Literacy Coalition Summit
Literacy Texas recently convened the Literacy Coalition Summit in Austin where 10 literacy coalitions gathered to discuss what is happening in the literacy community. As the state literacy coalition, Literacy Texas' mission is that literacy coalitions throughout the state will come together to share issues, resources, networking and to advocate for literacy at a state level. Our vision is that the literacy community in Texas is a strong united group that is worthy of funding and being at the table at the highest level of decision-making in the state. With Stimulus funding and the number of people who need literacy instruction to get a job, it is more important than ever that we work together not as separate coalitions and separate literacy providers. We need to be one cohesive group with professional representation. The more literacy coalitions work together, the more powerful we become.
Some of the coalitions are large and have been around for many years like the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas and some are just getting started like the South Texas Literacy Coalition. But the challenges are very similar – “People have a hard time believing low literacy is an issue,” “Adults can’t fill out a job application, can’t read,” “We are overwhelmed by the complexity and scope of the problem,” and “We have a large population of low literacy people.”
Workforce Literacy is the hot topic. Anson Green, who works at Alamo Colleges and is a Literacy Texas board member, provided the attendees with important information about the state of literacy in Texas. He stated that literacy is always in the top three in terms of community issues because it impacts jobs, workforce development and economic development, but it is not in the top three funding priorities. Literacy programs need to provide services that get learners jobs. Literacy is a solution to workforce issues. Over the next five years, the growth of the immigrate population nationally is projected to be 15.9% and in Texas it is 29%. Half of Texas public schools population is Hispanic. There are 2,197,648 people with Limited English Proficiently (LEP) in Texas.
Literacy coalitions are poised to provide the workforce literacy skills needed in the state of Texas. Literacy Texas will have a workshop on workforce literacy at our upcoming conference on July 27 and 28. Be sure to register on our website, www.literacytexas.org - Upcoming Conference. And at our next Literacy Coalition Summit we will be providing the coalitions a workforce literacy program that they can take back to the literacy providers in their coalitions.
Literacy Texas is interested in helping emerging coalitions grow into productive literacy coalitions with good direction and results. We are seeking to begin new coalitions in areas where no literacy coalition exists. Literacy Texas is a resource for coalitions, and the coalitions provide valuable information for literacy at the state level.
To find out where Texas’ literacy coalitions are and to see our notes from the Summit go to our website and visit the coalition page. If you are in an area where there is no literacy coalition and you think there is a need, please be sure to let us know so we can help with establishing one. You can email us at literacytexas@gmail.com.
Debbie Johnson
Literacy Texas – Interim Executive Director |
