2011

August 15, 2011

Dear Literacy Foundation and Literacy Institute Board Members,
I wanted to share with you that the Virginia Literacy Foundation has received two major grants.

The first is a grant from Verizon in the amount of $250,000 for the Verizon Improvement Project (VIP). VIP is a statewide initiative that will provide technical assistance, training and technology upgrades to a select group of community-based literacy organizations (CBLO). The ability to serve more students with stronger services will have a positive economic effect through an increased number of literate citizens and an educated workforce.

The second grant is from the Robins Foundation in the amount of $259,995 for the Excellence in Children’s Early Language and Literacy (ExCELL) project. ExCELL promotes young children’s acquisition of critical early language and literacy skills by coordinating, implementing, and evaluating its comprehensive, customized research-based model for early and family literacy. ExCELL creates enhanced home and classroom learning environments through ongoing engagement and education of parents and families and ongoing training and support to teachers, assistants, and directors in research-based early literacy assessment and instructional approaches.

I hope you will join me in expressing gratitude to Verizon and the Robins Foundation for their support of the work the Foundation.

Mark Emblidge

Commentary by Mark Emblidge (March, 16, 2011)

Too Many Virginians Can't Read This, Dr. Mark Emblidge, Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 13, 2011

"Our state and federal elected officials emphasize the need for significantly more college credentials to be earned by adults, but few of those officials acknowledge or seriously address the widespread illiteracy in the country.

Here in Virginia, nearly 1 million adults never graduated from high school and still have not earned a diploma or GED certificate. In some counties, upwards of 45 percent of the adults are in this situation. Their prospects for participating in today's competitive work force and earning good wages are grim, to say the least."

Click here to read the rest of the article.