What is the Literacy Initiative?
Mission : The mission of the
Literacy Council of West Alabama is to champion
the power of literacy to improve the lives of
children, adults, families and communities in
West Alabama.
Vision: To build a region in
which each person is functionally literate.
Theme: Improving lives and communities
through literacy.
Values: We believe that literacy
empowers people to make a better life for themselves
and their families.
We believe that adults who read raise children
who read and are more successful
in school and in life.
We believe that literacy helps families become
healthier.
We believe that literacy contributes to employability
and workforce success as well as to building better
citizens.
We believe that literacy contributes to better,
more livable, safe and just places to live.
We believe that the power of literacy can change
lives and communities.
Objectives: Increase awareness
of the impact of literacy in the workplace, communities
and across the region.
Advocate, support and enhance coordination of
sustainable literacy initiatives and
delivery of services in the West Alabama region.
Build alliances with public and private sector
organizations, service providers, educational
systems and institutions, and employers to stimulate
and sustain regional initiatives that impact effective
literacy services, communications and programming.
Build capacity and quality of resources, communications,
training and professional
development services, advocacy, volunteer development
and best practices research
that enhances delivery of literacy services.
2009 Plan Of Action
1. Fully implement board of directors’ leadership
training, participation and commitment to carry
out and implement the mission, objectives and
adopted strategies of The Literacy Council.
2. Design and execute communications and marketing
plan for The Literacy Council in 2009.
3. Develop and implement financial resource development
plan and 2009 budget to fund key identified needs
of The Literacy Council as adopted by the board
of directors.
4. Employ professional consulting support services
to assist with long range development of the literacy
council organization, grant and fund development,
and other elements.
5. Develop and implement literacy council website
as key portal for literacy services, best practices
and other key informational applications that
support service providers in the region as well
as raises awareness of literacy initiatives –
and expand data base of information and research.
6. Implement service providers advisory council
and conduct in-depth needs survey for literacy
services in West Alabama.
7. Develop and establish and expand relevant
training programs for volunteers to assist with
delivery of literacy services, including a “train
the trainers” initiative, development of reading
tutors and other similar efforts that will expand
the base of volunteers available to support deliver
of literacy services.
8. Support, encourage and collaborate with student
groups at The University of Alabama, as well as
other educational institutions in the region,
to implement student-based literacy initiatives,
especially the student-based “Literacy is The
Edge” (LITE) organization and adopted initiatives.
9. Establish and implement a literacy speakers’
bureau.
10. Implement “corporate spelling bee” and an
author’s series as fund-raisers for the literacy
council as well as tools to raise awareness of
literacy issues and participation of the community.
11. Develop an incentives and recognition program
for successful students and for effective literacy
service providers.
12. Develop and adopt logo, “branding” and other
communications collateral for The Literacy Council.
-Adopted by the Board of Directors on Wednesday,
November 26, 2008
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