LOUISVILLE, KY. - November 28, 2008 - The National Center for Family Literacy announced today that MetLife Foundation has awarded it a $300,000 grant to create a partnership between family literacy programs and community colleges.

The goal of the two-year project is to help provide a smooth transition from literacy programs to higher education for adult learners.
Sharon Darling, NCFL president & founder, said the initiative is timely for two reasons.

First, there are 34 million U.S. adults with such low literacy that they have difficulty filling out a job application, reading a newspaper and following a doctor's written instructions. Second, adults who don't have strong literacy skills won’t be qualified to compete in a 21st century economy "“ especially one that is in recession.

"The process of enrolling in college, considering financial options and tackling course work can be daunting to an adult student who has just obtained a GED credential and is most likely a first-generation college student," Darling said. "We need a systematic approach for using community colleges as a stepping stone for adult learners in family literacy programs. A step-by-step approach, or continuum of learning, is needed so adult learners won’t fall through the cracks. Instead, they can take advantage of the nurturing environment of community colleges and achieve economic security for their families."

The project will include:

• Researching existing partnerships between family literacy programs and community colleges;
  
• Identifying needs and best practices; and
  
• Developing a practical set of tools for programs, community colleges and families, so they can help adult learners effectively navigate the higher education system.

About MetLife Foundation:
MetLife Foundation supports education, health, civic and cultural organizations. It seeks to increase opportunities for young people to succeed, give students and teachers a voice in improving education, create connections among schools, colleges and communities, and develop leadership. Its funding for education is informed by findings from the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. For more information, visit www.metlife.org.

National Center for Family Literacy

National Center for Family Literacy

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is the worldwide leader in family literacy, an intergenerational approach to help families escape poverty through education. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. Educators, policymakers and philanthropists rely on NCFL to mobilize family literacy efforts, conduct research and develop new, effective tools to leverage the learning relationship between parents and children. Family literacy, pioneered by NCFL, is a powerful community strategy for raising educational levels, improving workforce skills and breaking the cycle of poverty.

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