DECATUR, Ala. — The Calhoun Community College Greater Opportunities for Adult learners (GOAL) Program, Boys and Girls Club - Northwoods, Huntsville/Madison County Public Library-Downtown Huntsville, and Decatur Public Library are partnering to celebrate National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.
In response to Governor Kay Ivey’s recently signed proclamation declaring September 18-24 as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, the team began working together to provide free services and fun activities that help promote the importance of reading to community members.
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The Governor stated more than 51.4 million Americans cannot read or write at the most basic level, while 75 million lack basic math skills and the credentials necessary to succeed in post-secondary education.
Currently, there are 379,000 Alabamians over the age of 18 who do not have a high school diploma. “This is alarming and quite heartbreaking,” says Wendy Roberts, GOAL Director.
“Our goal as adult education professionals is to not only help to fix this problem but to also provide free and convenient services to do so. Many individuals want to take advantage of free resources being offered across the state but are sometimes unable to due to travel constraints. So we decided to host our special events in several convenient locations that will make it easy for people to attend,” added Roberts.
A list of free community events has been planned for the week, and are as follows:
Boys and Girls Club – Northwoods – September 22 – 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
GOAL representatives will provide free food, giveaways, books as well as information on the GOAL Program and how individuals can take advantage of their programs.
GOAL Classes all locations:
Students who are presently enrolled in the GOAL Program will receive handouts on reading facts, additional GOAL Program offerings to expand their knowledge and skill sets to enter the workforce, free books as well as an opportunity to sign up for a library card.
GOAL is a joint partnership between Calhoun Community College and Drake State Community and Technical College, which was designed to specifically assist adult learners with obtaining their high school diploma or GED, learning English as a second language, improving their reading, math, and language skills, as well as their computer skills.
The program also offers training in manufacturing and logistics, which provides an opportunity to earn a certification once completed, as well as opportunities to work for companies such as Mazda/Toyota, YKTA, and many others.
“Adult Education and Literacy Week provides Calhoun and Drake along with other local organizations an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of not only being able to read but also being able to comprehend what you have read,” commented Dr. Jimmy Hodges, Calhoun President. “We hope that the community will come out and take advantage of these free services, have some fun, enjoy the food and giveaways, but most importantly, take advantage of the opportunity to increase their skills, which will help them to earn higher wages for their families.” adds Hodges.
To learn more about the GOAL Program, visit their website. For additional information, you may email the Calhoun or Drake GOAL office at goal@calhoun.edu or goal@drakestate.edu.