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September 20-26 marks the annual Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. The week serves as a reminder that reading, writing, and basic math remain an elusive target for 36 million adults across the country.
According to ProLiteracy, a non-profit organization that supports literacy programs, low literacy costs the United States $225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce, crime, and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment. They say that 43 percent of adults with the lowest literacy levels live in poverty.
Lincoln Trail College Academic Success Center Director Rena Gower oversees the College’s adult education program. She says LTC works hard to help people that never earned a high school degree.
“Lincoln Trail College has had a long-standing involvement within the community for offering free courses to help prepare individuals to pass the High School Equivalency, also known as the GED Exam. This exam consists of four areas: English and reading, math, social studies, and science. Students also must have passed or pass a Constitution exam to receive their certification.”
Gower says LTC’s HSE classes are free, including books and supplies. Classes are available days and evenings. “All we ask is for the commitment from the student.”
Low literacy levels can affect families and health. ProLiteracy says children whose parents have low literacy levels have a 72 percent chance of being at the lowest reading levels themselves. These children are more likely to get poor grades, display behavioral problems, have high absentee rates, repeat school years, or drop out of school. Meanwhile, $232 billion a year in health care costs is linked to low adult literacy skills.
“We know many adults are living in Crawford County that do not have a high school diploma for a variety of reasons,” says Gower. “We’re here to help them take that next step.
She says through the HSE program, LTC is also able to support students with transition classes to help them enroll in secondary education. The HSE program can also help students gain skills to obtain a higher paying job once they earn their GED certificate.
One way the College is doing that is through a new initiative that pairs the HSE program with LTC’s welding program. The initiative is awaiting final approval from the state, but once active, it will allow students to earn a welding certificate at the same time as they earn their GED.
Gower says people can make advising and registration appointments now for the Spring Semester of HSE classes. Students can make an appointment by calling Gower at 618-546-2306. Meanwhile, she says groups and organizations that want to learn more about LTC’s HSE program can also call her to set up a speaking engagement.
