Read and Succeed

This week, the library teamed up with Parkland's Adult Education Department to put together a display of library materials, booklets, statistics, and other information to highlight the Adult Education and literacy needs of our East Central Illinois community.

Why? We're in the middle of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, September 13-19. The needs are real. And since you can read this, you may be able to change other's lives by helping them find the basic education and training they need.

Do you think your ability to read this post means it doesn't matter to you? Consider the impact of these facts on the national economy, and our local community:

• One in five adults in the United States has not completed high school (U.S. Census).
• One in seven U.S. adults cannot complete a job application, read to their children, understand a prescription label, or complete an election ballot. Eleven million cannot communicate in English (National Assessment of Adult Literacy).
• In Illinois, 13% of adults lack basic prose literacy skills. In Champaign County, home of Parkland College and the University of Illinois, it's 8%. (National Assessment of Adult Literacy).

If you or someone you know needs a hand developing basic skills for life and work, check out the Adult Education Department. They offer free GED and ESL classes, tutoring in reading and basic literacy, classes to help develop basic computer skills, and more.