Act locally to address our state's devastating illiteracy rate

Recent statewide statistics show a third of Michigan adults lack basic reading skills… skills that are now essential to land a job that can support a family. That’s a crippling illiteracy rate for a state that wants to compete in a new economy.

Here in Washtenaw County, it’s estimated that 12% of our residents are illiterate. That means nearly 30,000 of our neighbors are locked out of the job market. It’s an economic drain for our entire community: illiteracy is a root cause of crime, poverty and even health problems. More frightening is that illiteracy is a cycle; half the children of illiterate parents will also be illiterate. Viewed from any angle - from humanitarian to economic - it’s a distressing picture.

But our county is lucky enough to be the home of Washtenaw Literacy, one of the largest, most successful literacy agencies in the state. This remarkable nonprofit serves Washtenaw citizens for free, providing them with the skills they need to join in a knowledge-based economy, rather than watch it from behind. Its time-tested program—which matches adult learners with trained volunteers who provide individual and group tutoring in reading and writing skills -- holds an impressive success rate: more than 90% of the adults in these programs reach at least one of their goals.

With the economic downturn and resulting fresh competition for jobs, Washtenaw Literacy is seeing demand for its services accelerate dramatically and it’s time for each of us to step in to help. The group eagerly accepts new volunteer tutors, training them to work with the adult learners who need their guidance, as well as other behind-the-scenes workers whose volunteer efforts help the organization run smoothly. No time? A nominal donation can be put to powerful use: $10 purchases a deck of flash cards or a literacy workbook and $100 covers the cost of a group tutoring session. In the business community, imagine what could be accomplished with a workplace campaign designed to spur volunteerism or donations.

This is a time for all of us to step up to the task of building a stronger Michigan economy. That means more than shopping locally and buying “Michigan,” it means enabling a more vibrant workforce by helping the most vulnerable of our neighbors succeed in a new economic era. If you can read the text on Washtenaw Literacy’s web site (www.washtenawliteracy.org), help eradicate illiteracy in our community -- become a tutor, raise some funds, get involved. Michigan needs everyone to succeed.

Lynda James-Gilboe is senior vice president for marketing and customer care for ProQuest, Ann Arbor. She is on the board of directors for Washtenaw Literacy.