Department of Education. The Division of Adult Education and Literacy DAEL administers programs that help adults get the basic skills they need including reading, writing, math, English language proficiency, and problem-solving to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. Our office provides funds to states for adult education and literacy programs. The amount each state receives is based on a formula established by Congress. States, in turn, distribute funds to local eligible providers to develop, implement and improve adult education and literacy activities.

Helping adults gain literacy skills helps reduce poverty, improve public health, and advance human rights around the world. Join the Learning Upgrade Challenge to receive free access to the Learning Upgrade program for four months and compete for rewards based on activity during each trimester. ProLiteracy is active in 20 countries, working with a network of grassroots partner programs. Partners are non-literacy entities such as health organizations, human rights agencies, or community libraries. This initiative seeks to expand access to literacy services in a community by supporting social service agencies in adding sustainable adult literacy services to their existing offerings. ProLiteracy and the American Library Association Office of Adult Literacy, Diversity and Outreach Services have partnered to help libraries implement processes for institutionalizing adult literacy initiatives.

The National Literacy Directory is designed to help individuals find local literacy and education programs and GED testing centers in their areas. The National Literacy Directory contains over 7, educational agencies located across the United States. Another component of the directory is a toll-free number that individuals can call to get a local program referral. Click here.

Learn More. Author's Note: I've spent nearly 20 years in adult education, 13 of those helping to found and run The Literacy Project, a community based adult literacy program in western Massachusetts. Much of this section and the next is based on personal experience, and most of the examples are out of my own work.