Literacy Partnership of SouthEast Michgan

The Literacy Partnership of Southeast Michigan's mission is to expand literacy throughout southeastern Michigan to meet the urgent and increasing need in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

Twenty years of collaboration between three primary volunteer-based literacy providers: ProLiteracy Detroit, Macomb Literacy Partners and the Oakland Literacy Council have provided free literacy help for thousands of adult new readers.

Currently, 1,500+ volunteer tutors serve more than 1,800 students, contributing
200,000+ hours of service each year – valued at more than $4 million to communities
in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb.

Literacy is one of the most corrosive, deeply rooted and least-addressed problems affecting the economic and societal health of our community. Manifested as the inability to read doctors' instructions, food labels, job applications, textbooks, illiteracy is linked to poverty, chronic unemployment, higher school dropout rates, crime, health problems, dependence on public assistance, and political disenfranchisement.

Illiteracy in Oakland ranges from 8% to 34%, in Macomb,10% to 23%, and within Wayne, Hamtramck is 38%, Detroit 47%, and Highland Park 56%.

Though volunteer-based literacy instruction is extremely cost effective, it is not free. Quality support for volunteer-based tutorial instruction includes, recruitment, tutor training, reading assessment, instructional materials and support services.

GOALS OF THE LITERACY PARTNERSHIP

• Learn from best practices: National literacy organizations such as ProLiteracy America and the National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions will help us learn from other successful partnerships ( Baltimore, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Diego ).
  
• Expand capacity: Generate the resources necessary to meet the literacy needs of our communities by increasing dialogue with the major literacy stake holders in our community including regional, state, and federal representatives.