Adult education program strives to close the book on illiteracy
Warren County Adult Education and the local Wal-Mart Supercenter teamed up in observance of Literacy Day Saturday to raise awareness for the fight against illiteracy.
Saturday’s program, called “Words Are Your Wheels,” featured two 30-minute sessions during which early childhood writer Veronica Solomon read aloud some of her stories for children assembled inside the store. The day also featured the presentation of a $1,000 donation from the local store to the adult education program – a donation that is part of $3.4 million national campaign of Wal-Mart’s to fight illiteracy.
Ron Martin, director of adult education, noted the company’s literacy campaign comes at a time when more than 44 million adult Americans are functionally illiterate.
These people “can’t fill out a job application on their own or read to their children at night,” said Martin. “Some adult learners want to learn to read the Bible or improve their reading. Wal-Mart has been working to coordinate a nationwide effort to connect those needing to develop reading and learning skills to places like the Adult Learning Center.”
Locally, he said, the county’s illiteracy rate has decreased 10 percent over the past decade. Martin attributes this to two factors: the school system’s reduction of the drop-out rate and the number of adults who have returned to school to continue their education.
But there are still many illiterate adults here in Warren County, he said, adding the $1,000 donation is very appreciated and will be used to fund the program’s on-going literacy efforts.
For more information about the efforts of and programs offered free by the Warren County Adult Education program, located adjacent to the middle school, call 473-5860.