A fervent idealist whose dream was to eliminate illiteracy throughout the world, Frank C. Laubach sought to bring Christianity to the masses by giving them the ability to read and spread the teachings of the Bible. In working with people in the nonindustrialized nations, Laubach also saw the need for economic and political self-sufficiency. He…

This booklet contains 10 success stories of Pennsylvania men and women who discovered adult education programs that gave them the tools to create a new life for themselves and their families. Their stories affirm the ability of each adult to use education to overcome great difficulties. Some overcame physical and learning disabilities. Some…

This history of literacy journalism may be summarized as follows. Conceived in the early 1950s through the enthusiasm of Frank C. Laubach, the world's only graduate program for literacy journalism was started when his son, Robert Laubach, came to Syracuse University to study journalism. He was the student/instructor of the first class in 1951 and…

By the early nineteenth century, religion and social necessity had driven literacy in western Europe and in the United States from an overall level below 20% to about 50% of all men in a little more than two centuries; women had benefited as well. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the state entered the business of education on a large…

The Appalachia that many metropolitans claim to know was discovered or invented between the Civil War and World War I. The idea of the Appalachians as impoverished, illiterate, and in desperate need of moral, economic, and educational uplift disseminated during those years was, in fact, a creation of the urban imagination; hence, discourse on…

In Nevada a book was developed to bring history to life for adult students who are beginning to discover the joy of reading and to let new readers and tutors tell their own stories about reading. The first part of the book includes 17 original stories written by Phillip Earl, a popular author and newspaper columnist in Nevada. Articles were…

In Nevada a book was developed to bring history to life for adult students who are beginning to discover the joy of reading and to let new readers and tutors tell their own stories about reading. The first part of the book includes 10 original stories written by Phillip Earl, a popular author and newspaper columnist. Articles were selected for…

Alan Thomas' vision of a learning society and its implications for public policy and adult education in Canada were the driving forces in the Canadian Association for Adult Education (CAAE) for the nine years of his directorship. The most distinctive and important idea that he contributed to the field in the 1960s was that the basic concept must…

The history of adult education and training in South Africa is a story of the simultaneous and sometimes conflicting activities of three major actors: organizations of civil society, the state, and capital. Organizations of civil society have led many activities in response to social class, race, and gender inequalities. Strongly motivated within…

The variable nature of literacy is discussed in chapter one of this paper, including problems of arbitrary standards, instruments, and criteria. In the second chapter, some of the historical roots of the concept of literacy are traced both to show how the concept of literacy evolved and to show how literacy has always been closely tied to the…

Focuses on federal efforts to fight illiteracy through library programs. Projects supported by two programs are described: the Library Services and Construction Act Title I Library Services Program, and the Library Research and Demonstration Program. Current federal library literacy activities are examined and ideas for the future are discussed.…

This bulletin reports the work of a committee appointed by Dr. John J. Tigert, United States Commissioner of Education, to study the many problems of school work with adult illiterates. The committee was formed following the National Literacy Conference in Washington, D.C., January 11-14, 1924, whose work included formulating practical programs…

An examination of the effects of the Adult Education Act (AEA) 25 years after its passage reveals the growth of the adult basic education (ABE) enterprise in the United States. The AEA provides funding to states to develop and maintain adult basic education programming. Because ABE was recognized as a means of improving the economic status of the…

The history of American prison education from 1650 to the present can be divided into five periods. Generally speaking, the education provided in prisons has been loose, fragmented, and essentially reflective of the prevailing local prison administration. Although the trend has been toward the adoption of a more enlightened view toward inmates and…

Discusses the social change that is taking place in Nicaragua, reviews the current literacy and adult education program, and examines the use of media in this program. (MBR)