History

The Literacy Coalition began in the 1980s as a grassroots community network in Jefferson County. In 1991, board members attended a Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) conference which opened a connection between the two groups. The Literacy Coalition joined LVA in 1997, thereby obtaining 501(c)(3) status. The organization obtained its own 501(c)(3) as the Literacy Coalition of Jefferson County in 2003. Recognizing our wider involvement in the Front Range, in 2008 the name was changed to the Literacy Coalition of Colorado. Some of our member programs included the Emily Griffiths Opportunity School, Red Rocks Community College, the Learning Source, Focus Points, and the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning.

In 1998, several Coalition member programs collaborated and submitted a grant proposal for funding through the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, Title II of the 1998 Workforce Investment Act. This collaborative approach to funding represented a departure from previous models of funding and provided a model to the state. That major grant was managed by the Literacy Coalition for those member organizations through June 2012. Currently, member programs provide instruction in adult literacy, English as a Second Language, high school equivalency test preparation, family literacy, US citizenship exam preparation, digital literacy, and workplace education.

Since its inception, the Literacy Coalition has contributed significantly to the field by recruiting, placing and training volunteer tutors. The Literacy Coalition has provided and continues to provide professional development training for instructors in the field.

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