Mapping Adult Literacy Access Points in the Lowcountry: Initial Learning

By Andri Moloney-Kitts, Sarah Cacicio, and Gerald Chimere Akwuole

In September 2024, ALL IN in partnership with Tri-County Cradle to Career launched the Tri-County Literacy Services and Supports Map, a digital, interactive, and detailed inventory of literacy-related resources and services available in the region. 

The map displays 34 adult literacy access points in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties, based on a 20-minute, voluntary survey with 17 total program responses. We gathered detailed information about program offerings, associated costs, adult learner population served, as well as available assessment and wraparound services. In addition to program-level data, we also asked respondents to identify organizational strengths and challenges in promoting access to literacy services. 

Next, ALL IN partnered with Climber Interactive, an interactive design and digital marketing company, to generate a digital, interactive, and detailed inventory of literacy-related resources and services available in the Lowcountry community. 

Now that we have collected the data, we are digging in to get a better sense of the adult and family literacy landscape in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. Here’s what we know so far:

 

Key Findings

• Slightly more than half (N=9) of respondents provide direct services to adult learners, from adult foundational education, English language, and Integrated Education and Training (IET) to family literacy, financial literacy, and U.S. citizenship preparation. Several programs offer courses in multiple locations, such as Charleston County School District’s Office of Adult Education (CCSD) In addition to academic instruction, Charleston County Public Library provides arts and culture programs as well as digital literacy services for learners.

• In terms of instructional modalities, 26 programs in the Tri-County area offer hybrid learning options, with both in-person and online learning options. Just 13 of the 34 programs listed offer fully online learning programs.

• There is considerable variability in organizational size, capacity, and diversity in leadership. Programs range from 1 staff member to 1,350. The median number of staff was 16, and most organizations had fewer than 16 total staff members. Registration requirements, such as open enrollment vs. managed enrollment vary considerably. Of those surveyed, only 31% indicated that they were led by Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC).

• Two adult education programs offer child care assistance, including Palmetto Goodwill and Trident Literacy Association. In many cases, access to high quality early childhood education care and resources was listed as a need.

• Program areas of need include: Funding to support students with specific learning differences or disabilities, reading comprehension support for adults with emerging literacy skills, improved outreach and recruitment strategies, and additional locations to serve hard-to-reach communities.

• Partnerships are strong in the Lowcountry community and there is readiness for change. In many cases, partnerships are already established, such as SC Works and CCSD. However, programs indicated interest in working with more organizations in the Lowcountry community. The graph below displays the top 10 organizations listed in the survey, by frequency of mentions.

• The majority of organizations surveyed (66.7%) serve more than 500 adult learners annually. 

 

Now What?

ALL IN will continue to convene partners across the Lowcountry community to expand access to adult and family literacy services. Here is our plan for Lowcountry literacy-building initiatives in 2025 – and we welcome additional ideas or opportunities!

• The American Library Association, with ALL IN members, received a National Leadership Grants Award for over $400,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences to design Adult and Family Literacy Support Centers for libraries nationwide. Through this new initiative, we will collaborate with the Charleston County Public Library to co-design a suite of resources and training materials to help library professionals nationwide support literacy building in their local communities. Learn more about the initiative here.

• ALL IN still seeks funding to replicate findings from the 2020 Gallup study commissioned by the Barbara Bush Foundation (BBF) which revealed that improving adult literacy skills could boost our GDP by $2.2 trillion dollars annually and could double the annual income of those most in need. The local economic impact study will quantify how literacy interventions can generate new economic activity in terms of total output, jobs, and income creation, as well as higher rates of long-term economic growth for the state of South Carolina. As part of this work, we aim to conduct qualitative research to understand adult literacy access and attainment from the perspective of learners and the key stakeholders who serve them.

• ALL IN will continue to collect data on literacy access points in the Tri-County community. To get your organization “on the map”, complete this 20-minute survey or notify our team here: https://allinliteracy.org/contact-us/.

• New ALL IN Learning Series: Introducing the Adult Literacy and Learning Network (ALL IN) Learning Series, a virtual experience designed to increase community engagement in adult literacy issues. We know the challenge. Now we are interested in showcasing what works to improve literacy access and investment for millions of adults in the United States (how initiatives are designed, funded, and evaluated to demonstrate measurable change). Join ALL IN and guest speakers (educators, policy influencers, employers, and more!) monthly to hear about successful advocacy and programming efforts that impact adult learners and families at the local level in line with our National Action Plan for Adult Literacy. Learn and apply proven techniques to drive access to high quality literacy services, including digital literacy skills, for adults nationwide. Discover new research findings with actionable takeaways to enact meaningful change in your community. 

 

Want to Learn More?

To learn more about ALL IN, contact us here.