6 Benefits Of Literacy In The Fight Against Poverty ▬ Concern USA

6 Benefits Of Literacy In The Fight Against Poverty

@Concern

Concern USA:  8.27.2020 by Olivia Giovetti

Literacy, as part of education, is a fundamental human right. Yet there are, according to UNESCO, 781 million illiterate adults (over the age of 15) around the globe. Over 63% of those adults are women. In countries like Niger, literacy rates are as low as 24%.

Fundamental human rights are just that — fundamental. These figures are also important because literacy (and numeracy) is one of the key ingredients to ending extreme poverty. As former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said in 2015: “The future starts with the alphabet.”

Here are 6 benefits of literacy as a tool for breaking the cycle of poverty.

1. LITERACY IMPROVES HEALTH

Literate patients also have an easier time following instructions from their doctors, and literacy is a key benefit during a health crisis.

2. LITERACY PROMOTES “LIFELONG LEARNING” AND BUILDS SKILLS

Literacy and numeracy are a prerequisite for a broader education. Students who struggle to read (often due to language barriers in the classroom) are more likely to drop out of school before they can complete a basic education. This can set off a vicious cycle: literacy rates increase as levels of completed schooling increase.

3. LITERACY IMPROVES THE ECONOMY AND CREATES JOBS

Literacy is a powerful tool against poverty. If all students in low-income countries had basic reading skills, 171 million people could escape extreme poverty. Illiteracy comes at a high price. According to the World Literacy Foundation, illiteracy costs the global economy $1.5 trillion annually.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

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Adult Literacy Efforts Make a Real Difference in Impoverished Areas of USA via WOUB

@OhioHigherEd

Adult Literacy Efforts Make a Real Difference in Impoverished Areas of USA

WOUB: 12.12.2018

Although much of this country’s educational focus is on P-12 grades, adult education cannot be ignored and adult literacy education is proven to be valuable in breaking links to poverty and improving job possibilities for those who participate.

Adult literacy education improves a student’s abilities and possibilities across a lifespan. Recently, the Patton College of Education at Ohio University became the first four year institution in Ohio to receive a special Aspire Grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education to address adult literacy needs.

It has been called the first “GED to Ph.D. program” by John Carey, Chancellor of the Department of Higher Education.

The new program provides research opportunities for faculty and student engagement opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students as well as educational opportunities for a large part of the region’s citizenry.

The new program “will show the power of adult instruction in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving and have a positive impact on people’s lives in our region,” says Julie Barnhart Frances, the director of the Stevens Literacy Center within the Patton College of Education.  LISTEN 39:46

How Literacy Can End Poverty via Borgen Magazine

@WorldLiteracy

How Literacy Can End Poverty

Borgen Magazine: 5.08.2018 by Richard Zarrilli

According to a report by the *World Literacy Foundation, almost 800 million people worldwide who cannot read or write are trapped in a cycle of poverty. This issue is a costly one for not only the illiterate but also for the literate. The World Literacy Foundation estimated that in 2015, illiteracy cost the global economy $1.2 trillion. These people are either completely illiterate, where they cannot read or write, or functionally illiterate, meaning they cannot perform simple tasks like reading medicine. In many ways, literacy can end poverty.

The World Literacy Foundation used a formula developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to measure the economic impact of illiteracy. The formula estimates the cost of illiteracy to developing countries at 0.5 percent of their gross domestic product. In emerging economies, such as China and India, the cost stands at 1.2 percent of gross domestic product, while in developed countries the cost is estimated at about 2 percent of gross domestic product.

This report finds that countries with the largest gross domestic product suffer the greatest financial strain from illiteracy. Developed countries lose $898 billion every year due to workforce illiteracy, which can reduce business productivity, while emerging economies lose $294 billion. The report also states that illiterate people earn up to 42 percent less than those who can read.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Reports & Statistics

International

Ongoing

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, PIRLS

Program for International Student Assessment,  PISA

Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, PIAAC

2019: Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy: A snapshot of illiteracy . . . World Literacy Foundation
2017: Literacy Rates Continue to Rise . . . , UNESCO Fact Sheet No. 45:

2016: Human Development Index, UNDP

2015: *Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy: A snapshot of illiteracy . . . World Literacy Foundation

2012: Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy: A snapshot of illiteracy . . . World Literacy Foundation
2006: Literacy for Life, Global Monitoring Report, UNESCO

2003-12: Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), UNESCO

How Education Deficiency Drives Mass Incarceration via GenFKD

How Education Deficiency Drives Mass Incarceration

Education reform may hold the key to meaningful criminal justice reform.

GenFKD: 11.18.2016 by Caitlin Curley

Education And Correctional Populations
BJS

A common thread through the American incarceration system is a widespread inmate education deficiency. Education needs to be a priority in reforming the system and reintegrating inmates into society.

By the numbers: Educational backgrounds of prisoners

The most recent report conducted nationally by the U.S. Department of Justice about the educational backgrounds of prisoners was in 2003. This national report states that of all incarcerated citizens in the United States, about 65 percent had not received a high school diploma, with just over 41 percent having dropped out and 23 percent obtaining a GED. Almost 23 percent had obtained just a high school diploma and 13 percent had gotten a postsecondary education.

More recent reports at the state level seem to corroborate these earlier findings, and hint at how little progress has been made on prison reform in the past decade, A 2014 report from Minnesota’s corrections department shows that over 74 percent of incoming prisoners did not have a high school diploma and only 17 percent had a postsecondary education. Meanwhile, a 2016 report from Georgia shows that over half of incoming prisoners did not have a high school diploma or a GED and only around 8 percent had attended some college.

Why did so many prisoners leave school?

There are several reasons that inmates are less likely to have been educated, but a primary factor may be found in the fact that prisoners have a disproportionately high rate of learning disabilities. Among those who had not completed high school or the GED in the national study, 59 percent had a speech disability and 69 percent had a learning disability.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Prison

2013: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education, Rand

2011: Correctional Education, OVAE

2010: Prison Count, PEW

2009: One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections, PEW

2006: Locked Up Locked Out: Educational Perspective on US Prison Population, ETS

2003: Literacy Behind Bars, NAAL 2003

2003: Education And Correctional Populations, BJS

1994: Literacy Behind Prison Walls, NCES

I Am Proof Libraries are Critical to Solving Cultural Poverty via Toronto Star

I am proof libraries are critical to solving cultural poverty

Libraries are one of the major tools we have, like education, that allow the underprivileged to overcome their condition.

Toronto Star: 1.15.2018 by Bobby A Aubé, Maison de la littérature in Quebec City

When I was a child, my mother sat with my brother and I every night to read with us. Books were thus among the first windows through which we observed the world.

It was before the divorce and the bankruptcy. Before we lost the house with a good part of what it contained. The following years were difficult financially. To help, my father started volunteering in a soup kitchen where we would frequently eat.

In Quebec City, the public library in my neighbourhood was just across the street and our father, for whom cultural education was essential, took us there after meals. Each time we borrowed a stack of books and comics for the week.

=I believe it was at this time that I understood, even unconsciously, that there are at least two distinct forms of poverty in our societies. The first one, of course, is financial poverty: it is the one preventing us from meeting our basic needs, such as housing, food or clothing. The other one is more insidious, because it undermines children’s development at the base. It is also a cause of our high rates of school dropouts or functional illiteracy: cultural poverty.

Fortunately for my brother and me, our parents understood that the library is precisely countering this kind of poverty. Those who have already been interested in the “UNESCO Public Library Manifesto” probably know how the role of a library goes beyond its basic services. Its mission is also, for instance, to create “reading habits in children from an early age”, to help citizens acquire “computer literacy skills”, or to foster “intercultural dialogue and [favour] cultural diversity.”  READ MORE  >>

The Case for Investment in Adult Basic Education :: ProLiteracy

The Case for Investment in Adult Basic Education

ProLiteracy Blog: 3.29.2017 by Jennifer Paulding

There is a significant connection between participation in adult basic skills programs and increased employment and income levels, high school equivalency and postsecondary education attainment, and civic participation. This return on investment, however, remains mostly unknown to policy makers, funders, and the general public.

ProLiteracy’s new white paper, The Case for Investment in Adult Basic Education, is based on a 10-year research study conducted by Dr. Stephen Reder, Professor Emeritus of Applied Linguistics at Portland State University. Dr. Reder found substantial evidence proving that involvement in adult basic skills programs has a positive return on investment related to improving an adult’s life. It has been concluded that low adult literacy has a huge adverse effect on the employability and earnings of American adults, and on our nation’s economic and social well-being. This research provides a strong case for the need to increase investment in adult education through federal and state policies, private foundations, and individual donors.

Thirty-six million adults in the United States have low-literacy skills, reading at or below a third-grade level.¹ Forty-three percent of adults living in poverty have limited literacy skills.²  Historically, there has been little research to demonstrate the positive impact on adults, jobs, and future generations, as well as the return on investment that adult literacy skills programs realize. However, research conducted by Dr. Stephen Reder provides a new opportunity to demonstrate for stakeholders the positive outcomes that adult basic skills (ABS) programs can have on an individual’s life, career, and income.

Dr. Reder’s research examined the correlation between participation in adult basic skills programs and later increases in income, literacy levels, high school equivalency attainment, postsecondary education engagement, and civic participation/voting activity.

The study findings showed a positive outcome for individuals in four of these five areas:

1.  individuals participating in an ABS program showed a dramatic increase in income over time, especially those participating for 100 or more hours

2.  participants were more likely to go on to obtain a high school equivalency credential, especially those participating for 100 or more hours

3.  program participants were more likely to pursue secondary education and received more credits than nonparticipants

4.  program participants were more likely to develop improved literacy proficiency over time, especially those participating for 100 or more hours

This research provides a strong case for an increased investment in adults and adult education. These outcomes directly impact all Americans in that they contribute to a healthy economy, increase employment, reduce public assistance, and lower health care costs.  READ MORE @

2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book : : Annie E Casey Foundation

2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book

1.7 Million More Children Live in Low-Income Working Families Today Than in Midst of Great Recession

Annie E. Casey Foundation: 7.21.2015

About 1.7 million more children live in low-income working families today than during the Great Recession, according to the newly released 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Annie. E. Casey Foundation. In 2013, one in four children, 18.7 million, lived in a low-income working family in the United States. Nearly a third of children are living in families where no parent has full-time employment. And even when parents are working full time, wages and benefits are often not sufficient to adequately support a family

═════════►

National and State Rankings for 2015 Data Book

For the first time in a nearly a decade, a non-New England state ranks number one for overall child well-being. Minnesota holds the top spot, followed by New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa, and Vermont. Arizona, Nevada, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi rank lowest. Other state highlights:

■While three New England states rank within the top five for overall well-being among the 50 states, the top five states in the area of economic well-being are in the heartland and Plain States regions — North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.

■The biggest improvements in overall rankings compared to last year’s Data Book are seen in Alaska, Minnesota, Wyoming, South Carolina and Missouri. The biggest drops in overall rankings are seen in West Virginia, Indiana, Rhode Island, Virginia, Arkansas and Vermont.

■Southeast, Southwest and Appalachian states have the lowest income and are at the bottom of the overall rankings. With the exception of California, the 15 lowest-ranked states were in these regions.

Poverty is Persistent in Many Neighborhoods

Despite being several years into the economic recovery, one in five children remains stranded in poverty.

■Since 2008, the number of children living in poverty has risen by almost 3 million, from 13.2 million to 16.1 million today.

■At a rate of 22% in 2013, the rate of child poverty is still several percentage points higher than before the recession, when it was 18%.

=The number of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods – where poverty rates are more than 30% — is the highest since 1990:

■Today, one in seven children — 14% — live in high-poverty communities.

■More than two million more children live in areas of concentrated poverty today than in 2006-2010.

Recovery Sidesteps Children of Color

Race is one of the strongest factors influencing a child’s economic stability. Data show the economic recovery of the past several years has bypassed many children of color. Rates of unemployment at the close of 2014 were in single digits for all races except African Americans. African Americans were also the only group for whom unemployment remains higher than before the recession.

■African-American children are twice as likely as the average child to live in high-poverty neighborhoods and to live in single-parent families.

■American Indian children are twice as likely to lack health insurance coverage.

■Latino children are the most likely to live with a household head who lacks a high school diploma.

“The national averages belie the stark reality that millions of children, particularly African Americans, Latinos, and American Indians live on the precipice of poverty. Today, as the economy recovers, we see a widening gap between the living standards of many children of color and other kids,” said Laura Speer, associate director for policy reform and advocacy. “The good news is when we’ve invested in the right strategies and policies, we have made a difference for kids.  READ MORE !

Libraries Serving Summer Meals

Summer Meals

Libraries Create Community Connections by Serving Summer Meals

Cities Speak: 5.29.2015 guest post by Patrice Chamberlain,

director of the California Summer Meal Coalition.

Recognizing the need in their communities, public libraries across the country are addressing the summer nutrition gap by serving summer meals alongside summer reading and enrichment programs.

Summer is right around the corner, yet in many low-income communities, this time of year can leave children with limited access to learning opportunities, few safe places to gather and without access to the free or reduced-price meals they received through their school lunch and breakfast programs.

In California and across the nation, a growing number of public libraries are teaming up with city agencies, schools and community-based organizations to ensure that low-income youth stay healthy and engaged when school is out by serving summer meals alongside library summer reading and enrichment programs.

Why Public Libraries?

Libraries are community hubs: trusted, safe spaces that provide an engaging, welcoming environment for community members of all ages. Library summer reading and enrichment programs keep kids engaged and combat summer learning loss. In addition, access to computers and the Internet are a crucial resource for families with limited access to technology at home. Interaction with library staff and opportunities for social engagement can also be invaluable to families. Librarians can help guide reading choices, serve as positive role models and connect families to community resources.

Recognizing the need in their communities, libraries across the nation are stepping up to address the summer nutrition gap. In California, the number of libraries serving summer meals has increased dramatically, from fewer than 15 library branches in 2012 to more than 90 this summer. In 2014, nearly 65 libraries served more than 88,000 summer lunches to kids in high-poverty neighborhoods.  READ MORE !

Lunch at the Library Sites

California Summer Meal Coalition Sites

by County

The Dollars and Sense of a Basic Education :: Huffington Post

Making Skills Everyone’s Business:

A Call to Transform

Adult Learning in the United States.

OCTAE

The Dollars and Sense of a Basic Education

Huffington Post: 3.25.2015 by Ralph da Costa Nunez, PhD

Half of all homeless parents in New York City shelters don't have a high school diploma. In essence, this means they can't read or write at a level required to get a decent job, permanently sentencing them to low-wage, dead-end jobs or, as is the case for many, no employment prospects at all.

Despite policy declarations and expectations, how can we expect a homeless mother to move on from shelter to a home of her own without a job that pays a decent wage? In truth, shelters have become places where family economic and social instability festers if opportunities are not made available. Today, when average length of stay is over a year and over half the families who leave shelter return, would it not make sense to address the gap in a parent's education while they wait for a viable housing option to become available?

Irrespective of the competitive angling between the General Educational Development Test (GED) and New York's newly introduced Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), it's clear that completing a high school equivalency degree makes sense for both homeless parents and the taxpayer. Studies of family literacy programs demonstrate that every dollar invested in adult literacy yields over $7 in higher incomes, tax contributions, reduced criminal justice expenses, and diminished reliance on public assistance. Those without a basic education are essentially relegated to being a permanent underclass -- which is both an expensive prospect for the city and a stain on our conscience. An individual who doesn't complete high school costs the city nearly $134,000, ironically for expenses like jail and shelter. On the other hand, those with a high school diploma or equivalency degree earn 65 percent more over a lifetime, providing a $193,000 benefit to the city. Education does pay, and can be the difference between residing in shelter or your own home.  READ MORE !

Families Armed With Books Repel The Effects Of Poverty :: Federalist

A New Majority

Families Armed With Books Repel The Effects Of Poverty

Families that read together build strong bonds and ward off poverty. Here’s what you can do to encourage love for books in your community.

Federalist: 2.20.2015 by Allison Kieselowsky

Let kids have it with both barrels. Blast them with an activity that answers many daily challenges of childhood: quality time with books. Parent-survival kits should include an arsenal of literacy activities as regular parts of household life. Ants in pants? Go on a book adventure. Bored? Enjoy a read-aloud. Bad attitude? Laugh through a silly story.

This call to arms—the recommendation to bring books into family life—is not just a fun idea for snuggle time. A whole generation’s academic future depends upon it. Long-standing statistics about low-income communities within the city of Philadelphia show that there may exist only a few dozen books in a community of 10,000 children.

These numbers are not unique to a single city or neighborhood—they are repeated across the country. Books are simply not finding their way into homes. This problem will only deepen the strain on the public education system, since a majority of students in public schools are currently from low-income families.

Watching Families Interact in Libraries

Susan Neuman, the researcher who unearthed the paltry books-to-child ratio in certain communities, has observed family behaviors and interactions in public libraries in two different Philadelphia neighborhoods—one affluent and one impoverished—over the course of years. The main difference she observed? How much the adults, whether parent, grandparent, or nanny, interact with the children during the visit, and how they use the library itself.  READ MORE !

Literacy - Spanning North America - Lake Co CA, Houston TX, Standoff AB

Literacy - Spanning North America

Celebrating the gift of literacy
LakeCoNews: 11.10.2013 by C. Richard Smith

The Lake County Literacy Task Force celebrated its third anniversary at the Lake County Office of Education this past Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The task force has a vision that everyone in the county – young, adults and elders – not only be able to read, but desire to read.

It supports four literacy programs in the county.

The Big Read, which took place in October, promotes adult literacy through focusing on an author and novel.

Lake County Reads is a program supported by service clubs that purchases books for elementary school libraries and has a service club member read the book at the school.  READ MORE !

Literacy Advance of Houston sees golden opportunity in 50th anniversary year
yourhoustonnews: 11.05.2013

At a recent private event for nearly 300 people at the Junior League of Houston, Literacy Advance of Houston’s Executive Director Melanie Fisk announced plans for the 50th anniversary year of the non-profit organization.

“We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the tremendous achievements of our past as we continue to expand our stellar programs to meet Houston’s future literacy needs head-on,” said Fisk.

Founded in 1964, Literacy Advance has provided adults in Houston with basic literacy classes led by trained volunteer tutors for 50 years. In addition to basic literacy, Literacy Advance provides English as a Second Language (ESL), family literacy services, transition services to help students become economically self-sufficient, and workforce development classes to help prepare Houston’s workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.

“Through literacy, people can permanently change the trajectory of their lives. At Literacy Advance, we help parents talk with their child’s teacher. We help adults learn to read so they can get a GED or enroll in college. And we help workers learn new skills to increase their chances of career growth,” said Fisk.

Thousands upon thousands of adults have benefited over the last 50 years. Last year, more than 3,000 people were served through Literacy Advance’s programs. However, Houston’s literacy needs continue to grow at a pace that service providers cannot match. Today, 1-in-5 adults living in the greater Houston area are functionally illiterate. READ MORE !

The Real 21st-Century Problem in Public Education is Poverty
BillMoyers.com: 11.06.2013 by Elaine Weiss

So much has been said about new “21st century” skills, standards and learning requirements, that they have become virtually synonymous with “college and career readiness” (a similarly poorly defined goal). The purportedly new demand for higher-level and different skills has further increased the pressure for more tests and higher stakes attached to them.

A new study showing explosive growth in student poverty suggests, though, that we have misidentified the problem. What if we have actually been teaching the right skills in US schools all along – math and reading, science and civics, along with creativity, perseverance and team-building? What if these were as important a hundred years ago for nurturing innovative farmers and developers of new automobiles as they are now for creating the next generation of tech innovators? What if these are the very characteristics of US schools that have made us such a strong public education nation, and the current shift toward a narrower agenda just dilutes that strength? What if, rather than raising standards, and testing students more, the biggest change we need to address is that of our student body?

The October 2013 Southern Education Foundation study indicates clearly that poverty, which has long been the biggest obstacle to educational achievement, is more important than ever. It is our true 21st century problem. Fifty years ago, we educated mostly working-class kids and up, and we did not expect those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder to graduate. Now we educate all students, including the very poorest and otherwise disadvantaged. And we expect them all to graduate. Compounding this shift, a large and growing proportion of US students students live in poverty and even concentrated poverty, have a disability, and/or are learning English as a second language. THAT is the paradigm shift, and we need a totally new set of policies to address that 21st century reality.  READ MORE !

A New Majority: Low Income Students in the South and Nation October 2013

Checking out Alberta's 1st public library on a reserve
Kainai Public Library opened in February in Standoff, Alta.
CBC News: 11.04. 2013

Hundreds of people have picked up library cards in a southern Alberta community that is home to the first public library on a First Nation in the province.

There are hundreds of books lining the shelves at the Kainai Public Library in Standoff on the Blood Tribe’s reserve. Card holders have access to thousands more through the Chinook Arch Regional Library System.

"Literacy and poverty go hand in hand so as soon as you get a society — a community —  that has high literacy levels, poverty goes down."  READ MORE !