Literacy makes a difference

Low literacy underpins many of the problems we face in society. Consider that:

• 68% of those arrested, 75% of welfare dependants, 85% of dropouts and 72% of the unemployed are identified as functionally illiterate (Source: Youth Plus)
• 85% of all young adults who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate (Source: National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003)
• 50% of the chronically unemployed are not functionally literate (Source: US Dept. of Education, 2005)
• Medication errors — many as the result of misread or misunderstood prescription labels — are the most common medical mistakes, causing up to 7,000 deaths each year (Source: American Medical Association)
• Women in the US who have little formal education are more likely than educated women to be in abusive relationships (Source: ProLiteracy)

However, the solution is right there in front of us!

• A 1% increase in high school graduation rates across the US would save approximately $1.4 billion in costs associated with incarceration (Source: ProLiteracy)
• A rise of 1% in literacy scores leads to a 2.5% rise in labor productivity and a 1.5% rise in GDP (Source: The Economist, 2004)
• As the education levels of adults improve, so does their children's success in school. Helping low-literate adults improve their basic skills has a direct and measurable impact on both the education and quality of life of their children (Source: National Institute for Literacy)
• Improving health literacy would save between $106 billion and $238 billion dollars per year in the US (Source: ProLiteracy)

Literacy Advance's free classes for adults in the Houston community have a direct impact on their lives, but also impact on society in general. Our volunteer tutors fulfill our mission: Transforming lives and communities through the doorway of literacy.