Update on State Initiatives

Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative

by by Dale E. Pillow

Pioneers in non-profit adult literacy organizations paved the way for the Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative that was conceived in 2003. The early years of this decade brought much change in the field of adult literacy. Two non-profit groups in Texas – Texas Adult Literacy Laubach and Literacy Volunteers of America – came together to form the Texas Association of Adult Literacy Councils (TAALC), a statewide coalition of non-profit literacy providers. Texas led the way and the nation followed as Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America came together to form ProLiteracy America.

Into this atmosphere of change, came another transformation as the Texas Education Agency contracted with Texas LEARNS to provide support services to adult education and literacy providers. Texas LEARNS began to look seriously at how non-profit volunteer literacy providers could be supported in order to encourage collaborations between these non-profits and adult basic education providers. Volunteer organizations were recognized as valuable partners and new thinking prevailed in a spirit of strong cooperation. Into this season of collaboration, the Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative was born.

Texas LEARNS directed Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL) to administer this new initiative and, in January 2004, the collaboration was underway. The Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative is one of the service objectives of TCALL’s Clearinghouse Project, an adult education state leadership activity funded by the Texas Education Agency in collaboration with Texas LEARNS.

Through this initiative, TCALL collaborates with Literacy Texas to support training of volunteers and administrators of community-based literacy programs with no access to state funds for professional development. Non-profit literacy providers in Texas vary greatly in size and focus from small faith-based programs to large city literacy coalitions serving many thousands of adults each year. All share a common passion for this critical social and economic need while struggling to meet that need with limited resources.

Since January 2004, the Initiative has provided over $500,000 in support toward expenses for volunteers and program leaders to attend conferences, trainings and workshops. By using the train-the-trainer model, strength within each region to conduct trainings is built thereby reducing travel costs and time. Literacy Texas and the TCALL staff work closely to review and recommend conferences and other trainings for which reimbursements will be offered.

Additionally, Literacy Texas provides technical support to programs seeking ProLiteracy Accreditation - another critical area which brings increased quality and accountability to the field. ProLiteracy America supports an organizational accreditation that assists non-profit program administrators and their boards in ensuring the highest quality management and service delivery. ProLiteracy America Accreditation acknowledges literacy organizations that are distinguished by superior professional leadership, effective programs, committed governing boards, and outstanding volunteer support. Literacy Texas is the lead organization to provide accreditation services to the non-profit literacy community in Texas.

Further collaboration happens through LiteracyTexasLink, a statewide email discussion list that helps to connect volunteer and community-based literacy providers from across the state. TCALL Clearinghouse Project staff provide hosting, moderation, and subscription management services for the LiteracyTexasLink email discussion list. Although the Volunteer Training Initiative is limited to community-based literacy programs with no access to state funds for professional development, the listserv is open to all volunteer literacy programs, adult basic education programs, and individuals who are interested in improving literacy in Texas. This listserv is used to communicate the availability of funding for professional development opportunities in addition to sharing relevant information about research, statistics, and resources. It is a connecting vehicle through which to network, to communicate, to share resources, to seek professional development opportunities, and provides access to new allies.

The fact that the Literacy Volunteer Training Initiative provides reimbursements for instructors and volunteer tutors to attend professional development offerings allows program dollars to be used for learner instruction and leverages these dollars for direct instructional services to build statewide system capacity. With a broad base of volunteer expertise, precious resources are saved through the donation of time and talent.

These resources support the mission of community literacy and the vision of 100 percent literacy through 100 percent community engagement that is embraced by Literacy Texas to bring educational equity to every family in the state. No one organization can solve a problem of this scope – it takes collaboration and cooperation by all interested parties working together to solve this problem. It can work only in an environment of strong, sustained collaboration.

About the Author

(Mrs.) Dale E. Pillow is the Executive Director of the Adult Reading Center in Pearland and the Immediate Past President of Literacy Texas, the state organization of regional literacy coalitions, nonprofit and volunteer literacy programs.