We encourage you to take action this month and let state legislators know about the importance of Literacy Pittsburgh's work to make lives better through learning.
Literacy Pittsburgh’s state contract was cut by 38% when Pennsylvania enacted a partial year budget in response to the economic impact of COVID-19. This cut threatens our ability to serve a growing number of adults who have lost jobs and need to improve skills to stage their comeback.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly will return in the fall to pass a budget for the remainder of the year while dealing with a large deficit. We need these elected leaders to restore our line item so that we can continue to provide quality educational experiences for our students.
Please take a few minutes to email your state elected leaders urging them to restore our line item in full. Instructions and a sample message are below. This advocacy effort is in partnership with adult literacy organizations from across the state. Please lend your voice today!
You can learn more about the Adult and Family Literacy budget line item here. Thank you in advance for advocating for Adult and Family literacy funds. We appreciate all you do for our students.
INSTRUCTIONS
Go to this website and enter your personal contact information. Click “Submit”
On the next page, you'll see the following screen:
.jpg)
The left side will list your State Representative and Senator, along with the Governor’s office.
The Message Subject will be filled out for you.
Add Your Message next. A template is below.
I am writing to urge you to restore the Adult and Family Literacy line item in the State Budget. This line item funds adult basic education services for the Commonwealth’s working-age adults who need basic skills to attain family-sustaining jobs – 18% of Pennsylvania adults meet these criteria.
Adult education programs move students from learning to earning and help them succeed as workers, parents, and neighbors. Literacy Pittsburgh teachers and volunteer tutors rely on Adult and Family Literacy funds to help their students reach their goals of obtaining their high school equivalency, becoming a U.S. Citizen, or advancing in the workforce.
Now more than ever, adult basic education is an essential investment for Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 economic recovery. This economic recession is hitting low-wage workers the hardest, with 14.5% of jobs lost. The economic recovery will take significantly longer for those that make up the low wage workforce, especially those 59,000 adults in our region without a high school credential or adequate English skills.
I urge you to invest in the thousands of adult learners in Pennsylvania. Organizations like Literacy Pittsburgh are willing, ready, and able to be partners in Pennsylvania’s economic future.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Literacy Pittsburgh (formerly Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council) helps create better lives through learning. Recognized as a national leader in adult and family literacy, Literacy Pittsburgh is the largest provider of adult basic education in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. Last year, Literacy Pittsburgh helped more than 4,000 individuals acquire the skills needed to reach their fullest potential in life and participate productively in their communities. Literacy Pittsburgh provides free, personalized instruction in workforce readiness, high school diploma test preparation, digital literacy, English language learning, math, reading, and family literacy through one-to-one and small class instruction. Founded in 1982, it serves local adults through numerous neighborhood locations and its Downtown Pittsburgh Learning Center.
