Des Moines Area Community College issued the following announcement on May 22.
DMACC will use funds for HSED scholarships and Adult Literacy Center staffing
- This local grant is part of more than $8.6 million awarded to more than 950 schools, nonprofits and organizations in the communities Dollar General serves.
- The National Institute for Literacy reports that 43 percent of adults at the lowest literacy levels live in poverty, while 70 percent of adult welfare recipients have low literacy levels.
- The Adult Literacy Center (ALC) at DMACC provides adults with a pathway to improving their reading, writing and speaking skills, and by extension, improving their lives.
- The High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) Program at DMACC gives adults a supported option for completing their high school diploma.
DMACC will utilize the grant dollars to provide scholarships to students in its High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) Program and to fund staff time in support of the Adult Literacy Center (ALC) at the DMACC Urban Campus.
“On behalf of everyone at DMACC, I’d like to thank Dollar General for this wonderful grant in support of literacy and education, especially among adults in our community,” said Dr. Anne Howsare Boyens, Provost at the DMACC Urban Campus. “The National Institute for Literacy reports that 43 percent of adults at the lowest literacy levels live in poverty, while 70 percent of adult welfare recipients have low literacy levels.
“Our goal is to provide these adults with a pathway to improve their lives and to reach their own goals, which often include completing a high school education, enrolling in training or community college, reading to their children, finding a job or a better job, and becoming more independent. It is incredibly rewarding to see these adults succeed and achieve, and our community is strengthened with them.”
The Adult Literacy Center (ALC) at DMACC is available to any Des Moines-area adult who needs to improve their reading, writing and speaking skills, including new Iowans who can speak English but need to learn to read and write the language, and adults with low literacy skills in conjunction with dyslexia and/or learning disabilities.
The High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) Program at DMACC provides adults with an option for completing their high school diploma. The program requires students to earn 36 credits, and previously earned high school credits can be transferred in and applied toward that requirement. Students in the HSED Program work in individualized, self-paced, DMACC learning center environments, with DMACC instructors available for proctoring and assistance.
“During these extraordinary times, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to support communities’ literacy and educational advancements through funds that will impact thousands of students across the country,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO and Dollar General Literacy Foundation board member. “We are proud to support the meaningful and impactful work that each of today’s recipients conduct and support their ongoing efforts to help individuals improve their lives through literacy and education.”
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $182 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 11 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.
For more information, contact: Dr. Anne Howsare Boyens amhowsare@dmacc.edu
Original source can be found here.
Source: Des Moines Area Community College
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