ProLiteracy Worldwide
Encyclopedia
ProLiteracy is an international nonprofit organization based in Syracuse, N.Y., that supports the people and programs that help adults learn to read and write.
Laubach Literacy International’s history begins in 1930, when Dr. Frank C. Laubach
was a missionary
among the Maranao
people of the Philippines
. His concern about their poor living conditions led him to conclude that the ability to read and write was essential for them to begin to solve their problems. As the Maranaos learned to read, they would, in turn, teach other adults on a one-to-one basis that became known as “Each One Teach One.” From 1935 to 1967, Dr. Laubach visited 105 countries answering calls for literacy help and created reading lessons in 315 languages. He founded Laubach Literacy International in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1955.
For years, literacy
as a global mission interested Ruth Johnson Colvin
. She had heard Dr. Laubach speak about illiteracy
in faraway countries, but she didn’t consider it a problem in America
. So she was shocked when she read a 1961 Syracuse Post-Standard newspaper article that stated there were over 11,000 people in her county who could not read or write well (based on 1960 U.S. Census figures). She began speaking with local social service agencies, community leaders, and church groups about the problem. With the help of reading experts, she developed a means to train volunteers to tutor adults. In 1962, she started Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc.
partner programs in developing countries in Asia
, Africa
, Latin America
, and the Middle East
. ProLiteracy provides training, technical assistance, and targeted local grants to support tailored programs that combine literacy with economic self-reliance, health
, education
, peace
, human rights
, and environmental sustainability projects.
In the U.S., ProLiteracy represents community-based volunteer and adult basic education affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ProLiteracy accredits programs and supports them with technical assistance and program and professional development services online, in regional trainings, and at an annual conference. ProLiteracy also serves as an advocate for issues related to adult literacy and lifelong learning.
New Readers Press, ProLiteracy’s publishing house, generates $8 million in revenue annually through the sale of materials used in teaching adults and older teens. Proceeds from these sales support the services that ProLiteracy offers to literacy practitioners. News for You, published by New Readers Press, is a weekly online and print news source for English language learners and basic literacy students.
) programs, adult basic education initiatives, and women-focused programming.
ProLiteracy began its Women In Literacy (WIL) initiative in 1991 in response to the particular needs of women. Cultural traditions and local laws often favor men, allowing them access to education, property, employment, health care, and participation in government that is denied to women. ProLiteracy's Women in Literacy initiative gives women the literacy skills they need to understand and change their daily lives. Women hold key leadership positions in more than 80% of WIL partner programs.
In 2005, 87% of funding went to programs, 7% went to fundraising
, and 6% went to general and administrative services.
Wise Giving Alliance (WGA) found that ProLiteracy met all of its standards for charity accountability. The WGA found that ProLiteracy is truthful in its representations of how money is spent, does not allocate an excessive part of its budget for fundraising or administrative expenses, and makes its financial statements readily available to the public.
Reports by Charity-monitoring Organizations
History
ProLiteracy was formed when Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. merged in 2002.Laubach Literacy International’s history begins in 1930, when Dr. Frank C. Laubach
Frank Laubach
Frank Charles Laubach was an Evangelical Christian missionary and mystic known as "The Apostle to the Illiterates." In 1935, while working at a remote location in the Philippines, he developed the "Each One Teach One" literacy program. It has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in...
was a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
among the Maranao
Maranao
Maranao is the term used for the people of Lanao, a predominantly Muslim region in the Philippines island of Mindanao. They are famous for their artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature...
people of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. His concern about their poor living conditions led him to conclude that the ability to read and write was essential for them to begin to solve their problems. As the Maranaos learned to read, they would, in turn, teach other adults on a one-to-one basis that became known as “Each One Teach One.” From 1935 to 1967, Dr. Laubach visited 105 countries answering calls for literacy help and created reading lessons in 315 languages. He founded Laubach Literacy International in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1955.
For years, literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
as a global mission interested Ruth Johnson Colvin
Ruth Johnson Colvin
Ruth Johnson Colvin is the founder of the non-profit organization Literacy Volunteers of America, now called ProLiteracy Worldwide in Syracuse, New York, in 1962. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in December 2006.-Biography:Colvin was born Ruth Johnson...
. She had heard Dr. Laubach speak about illiteracy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
in faraway countries, but she didn’t consider it a problem in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. So she was shocked when she read a 1961 Syracuse Post-Standard newspaper article that stated there were over 11,000 people in her county who could not read or write well (based on 1960 U.S. Census figures). She began speaking with local social service agencies, community leaders, and church groups about the problem. With the help of reading experts, she developed a means to train volunteers to tutor adults. In 1962, she started Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc.
Mission
ProLiteracy champions the power of literacy to improve the lives of adults and their families, communities, and societies.Overview
ProLiteracy’s Programs and Professional Services division works in the U.S. and around the world. ProLiteracy has grassrootsGrassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
partner programs in developing countries in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. ProLiteracy provides training, technical assistance, and targeted local grants to support tailored programs that combine literacy with economic self-reliance, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and environmental sustainability projects.
In the U.S., ProLiteracy represents community-based volunteer and adult basic education affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ProLiteracy accredits programs and supports them with technical assistance and program and professional development services online, in regional trainings, and at an annual conference. ProLiteracy also serves as an advocate for issues related to adult literacy and lifelong learning.
New Readers Press, ProLiteracy’s publishing house, generates $8 million in revenue annually through the sale of materials used in teaching adults and older teens. Proceeds from these sales support the services that ProLiteracy offers to literacy practitioners. News for You, published by New Readers Press, is a weekly online and print news source for English language learners and basic literacy students.
Programs
The National Book Fund (NBF) gives grants of New Readers Press books and materials directly to local literacy service providers. The NBF provides books for family literacy programs that work with parents and children, English-as-a-second-language (ESLESL
ESL is a common abbreviation for English as a Second Language, see English language learning and teaching.ESL may also refer to:-Companies:...
) programs, adult basic education initiatives, and women-focused programming.
ProLiteracy began its Women In Literacy (WIL) initiative in 1991 in response to the particular needs of women. Cultural traditions and local laws often favor men, allowing them access to education, property, employment, health care, and participation in government that is denied to women. ProLiteracy's Women in Literacy initiative gives women the literacy skills they need to understand and change their daily lives. Women hold key leadership positions in more than 80% of WIL partner programs.
Funding
About 60% of ProLiteracy’s funding comes from sales of its educational materials. About 35% comes from private sources, including individuals, corporations, and foundations. The remainder comes from affiliate dues and investment income.In 2005, 87% of funding went to programs, 7% went to fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
, and 6% went to general and administrative services.
Accountability Standards
A 2005 report by the Better Business Bureau'sBetter Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
Wise Giving Alliance (WGA) found that ProLiteracy met all of its standards for charity accountability. The WGA found that ProLiteracy is truthful in its representations of how money is spent, does not allocate an excessive part of its budget for fundraising or administrative expenses, and makes its financial statements readily available to the public.
External links
Organizational LinksReports by Charity-monitoring Organizations
- BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report: ProLiteracy Worldwide
- GuideStar Basic Report: ProLiteracy Worldwide (registration required)
- Literacy Florida!Literacy Florida!Volunteers for Adult Literacy in FloridaAs of August 2008 Literacy Florida! Inc., was renamed Volunteers for Adult Literacy in Florida. VALF provides grants, training, and technical support for adult and family literacy programs using trained volunteers.More about the purpose of the name change...