Developing a Community Adult Literacy Program

A Good Idea

Description

Following a decline in mining in the 1980s, Silver Valley, ID, has experienced two decades of high unemployment and low educational achievement. After the mines closed, the Environmental Protection Agency designated the Silver Valley as a Superfund site; it is suspected that long-term exposure to contaminants is a leading cause for the high level of learning disorders in the Silver Valley. The Silver Valley Learning Center has helped by providing adult literacy programs, GED education, and job skills training.

Goal / Mission

Since late 1996 the Silver Valley Learning Center has been helping students with low reading levels improve literacy and achieve personal educational goals. By offering these services, the Silver Valley Learning Center hopes to enhance self-esteem and motivation for the adults in its community, which can hedge against depression and related problems such as alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

Results / Accomplishments

Between November 1996 and March 1998, 139 had been enrolled at the Learning Center, with 17 obtaining their GEDs. In the nine month period between July 1997 and March 1998 the Learning Center provided 637 hours of student contact, with an average of 14 hours per student.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
The Silver Valley Learning Center
Primary Contact
Rex Fairfield
208 Oregon Street
Kellogg, ID
(208) 769-3446
lrfairfield@nic.edu
http://www.nic.edu/Websites/index.asp?dpt=54
Topics
Education / Literacy
Education / Educational Attainment
Organization(s)
The Silver Valley Learning Center
Source
Corporation for National and Community Service
Date of publication
2001
Date of implementation
1996
Geographic Type
Rural
Location
Kellogg, ID
Target Audience
Teens, Families

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Related Content for: Developing a Community Adult Literacy Program

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.