The Portland Literacy Council (PLC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and supporting adult literacy programs in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. PLC activities include sponsoring an annual tutor conference, developing literacy tutoring programs, publishing the LiteracyLinks newsletter, and assisting volunteer literacy tutors.
WHAT'S NEW
Oregon Literacy, Inc. Closing After 40 Years of Service
After more than forty years of dedication to the advancement of literacy, Oregon Literacy has closed it doors to the public. Citing financial difficulties, OLI directors made the difficult decision to end the existence of the statewide organization that had championed the cause of literacy through access of educational materials, political advocacy and community alliances.Popular OLI activities included the Chalk It Up for Literacy Festival, the Literacy Scrabble Tournament, the OLI bookstore, the tutor book scholarship program, and many others. The OLI presence and contribution to the cause of promoting literacy will be missed. PLC would like to give a well deserved "thank you and best wishes" to the OLI staff and everyone who has been involved with the organization.
LITERACY FACTS:
- Adults who have not received high school diplomas are unemployed at nearly three times the rate of their peers with high school diplomas. (State of Oregon Employment Dept.)
- The literacy levels of parents are crucial in predicting their children's literacy levels and educational attainment. (National Institute for Literacy)
- More than 20% of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level, which prevents them from working at jobs with a living wage, hinders their ability to vote, and impedes their ability to read a newspaper. (National Institute for Literacy)
MISSION
"Our mission is to assist, develop, and facilitate literacy programs throughout the Portland metropolitan area. We are committed to helping provide the learning tools that are necessary to ensure that a basic education is available to everyone."Kris Magaurn, Chair,
Portland Literacy Council