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Students
In the U.S. and developing countries around the world, adults enroll in ProLiteracy’s
literacy classes to make their lives better by gaining or improving their reading,
writing, math, and English speaking skills by attending classes offered by ProLiteracy
members and partners. In the U.S.
There
are no typical adult literacy or English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students—they
are of all ages and races, they are both women and men, and come from all economic
or social backgrounds. They may have completed the K-12 education system or left
before graduation, but did not acquire skills for one of several reasons —a childhood
illness that resulted in long absences from school, an undiagnosed learning disability,
domestic abuse that distracted them from lessons, frequent changes in schools,
or the need to leave school to work. ESL students may be literate in their native
language, or unable to read and write at all. ProLiteracy’s network currently
serves more than 202,000 adults in the U.S. There are slightly more women students
than men (54% basic literacy; 63% ESL); most students are between 25 and 44 years
old (41% basic literacy; 56% ESL). Many are employed (58% of ProLiteracy’s ESL
students have jobs, as do 41% of basic literacy students) but would like better
jobs. They have many motivations—they want a better job, to get a driver’s license,
earn a GED, read to their child, or help children with homework. A large number
are referred by friends or family. Around the
World
ProLiteracy serves more than 400,000 adults through 125 partner
programs in 65 developing countries and Canada. These adults learn to read and
write in their native language, with specially developed materials that are easily
adapted to local needs. Contact Us
If you or someone you know needs help with reading, writing, or speaking English,
please visit the Find a Program page. Type in your zip
code to find a program near you. If you do not live in the U.S. and would
like information about enrolling in a literacy program, send an e-mail to info@proliteracy.org. If
you are an adult who is thinking about enrolling in an adult education or literacy
program, you can talk with another adult about his or her experiences as a basic
literacy or ESL student. Click
here to send an e-mail to a member of ProLiteracy’s Student Advisory Council.
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