As nonprofit adult literacy programs are often the only options for low-income Latin American immigrants in North America, problems accompanying these programs affect the ability of immigrants to benefit from them. North American nonprofit adult literacy programs often struggle due to the difficulties inherent in using volunteer instructors (often…

A definition of illiteracy is the inability to read and compute at the standard needed by an adult within a chosen social context. While statistics may vary depending upon the study, women make up the majority of the illiterates nationally and internationally. Three factors that contribute to illiteracy among women are social acculturation and…

This document traces the history of volunteerism in the literacy field, discusses the current role and use of volunteers, and assesses the potential and the limits of volunteerism as a current and future means for overcoming illiteracy in the United States. (The major conclusion is that the current delivery system of literacy activities can go no…

It is no longer realistic or viable for HRD to be isolated from the broader context of workforce development. Organizations, where HRD has been traditionally situated, have begun to realize the ominous workforce challenge that lies ahead--especially related to ensuring literate and skilled adults in the future. It is very important for HRD…

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…

In developing a community-based adult literacy program, program planners need to consider who the program will serve, which strategies will best serve the target population of the program, and exactly how much stability and change are to be encouraged in the program. Once the planners of a community-based adult literacy program have answered these…

Relationships exist between lifelong learning and community-based literacy programs, and Canada appears to have the kind of civic culture that takes literacy learning seriously, enjoying a strong civic or community context for literacy learning. Community literacy in Canada promotes the values and ideas of lifelong learning, legitimizing…

This publication contains 21 reports that explore and document literacy. Following an introduction (Jean-Paul Hautecoeur), the first part deals with literacy in North America. Reports are "Functional Illiteracy and the 'New Literacy'" (Jean-Pierre Velis); "Literacy Policy in Quebec: An Historical Overview" (Jean-Paul…

A survey called the Literacy Check-Up was conducted in South Carolina's Lancaster and Chester Counties in April-May 2000. The survey was designed to identify existing literacy services, determine how well the area's existing literacy programs were meeting participants' needs, and determine the community's capacity for serving adults in need of…