• What do you mean by "literacy"?
• How serious is the problem of illiteracy?
• How does Anne Arundel County compare to the rest of the country?
• How much time will I need to commit as a volunteer?
• How do I become a tutor?
• How do I become a member?
• How is the AACLC funded?
• Where do referrals come from?

What do you mean by "literacy"?

Literacy in the 21st century means the ability to:

• perform the basic skills of reading, writing, and computation
• apply knowledge and skills in real-life situations
• reason, solve problems, think critically and creatively
• communicate clearly
• work effectively with others
• use and adapt to changing technologies

“Functional illiteracy” refers to the social condition suffered by millions of Americans who either have no literacy skills at all, or whose ability to read, write, and use numbers is judged to be at or below a fifth grade level.

How serious is the problem of illiteracy?

The problem of illiteracy is more serious and more complicated than most people realize. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) is an excellent informational source on U.S. adult literacy statistics. This site provides a detailed look at the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey, carried out under contract for the U.S. Department of Education, for the purpose of assessing the extent of adult illiteracy in the United States.

The National Adult Literacy Survey reached 13,600 adults and measured literacy levels along three dimensions—prose literacy, document literacy, and quantitative literacy—designed to capture an ordered set of information-processing skills and strategies that adults use to accomplish a diverse range of literacy tasks. Based on the results of the survey, the Department of Education's National Center on Educational Statistics (NCES) estimated that about 21 percent of the adult population — more than 40 million Americans over the age of 16 — had only rudimentary reading and writing skills. Most adults in this "level one" category could pick out key facts in a brief newspaper article, for example, but could not draft a letter explaining an error on their credit card bill. A subgroup in this category — representing roughly 4 percent of the total adult population, or about 8 million people — was unable to perform even the simplest literacy tasks.

How does Anne Arundel County compare with the rest of the country?

According to a study done by Portland State University in 1996, approximately 14 percent of the residents of Anne Arundel County are functionally illiterate. This statistic is a synthetic estimate based on data derived from the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) and the 1990 U.S. Census. Educational statistics from the 2000 U.S. Census show that 81% of Anne Arundel County residents have graduated high school, and 25% hold a bachelor's degree.

How much time will I need to commit as a volunteer?

You can volunteer as much or as little time as you have available. As a tutor, you would be expected to give about 3 hours each week to your student, including time to prepare for your lessons. However, many of our volunteers are non-tutoring volunteers who assist with such tasks as organizing events, staffing information booths, fundraising, and student support. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer

How do I become a tutor?

In order to become a tutor, we ask that you participate in a 12-hour tutor training session, during which we explain our program in more depth and teach you how to tutor according to the Laubach method. The only pre-requisites are that you must be able to make a long-term commitment to your student of at least a year or two, and that you must be comfortable with your own reading and communication skills so you can convey your knowledge to your student. To enroll with our organization, please call or email us. You can request information online here.

How do I become a member?

Membership with the Council costs $15 per year and includes many benefits. Most important among them is the benefit of showing your support to the Council. Since the Council is a Laubach affiliate, you are entitled to membership rates on all Laubach events and training seminars. In addition, as a member, you and your student may purchase books through our organization at cost. We provide free educational opportunities to help enrich your tutoring skills, as well as tutoring support from professionals who know how to help you with the most difficult educational challenges. To become a member, just send your dues payment to our main office headquarters using the contact information on our "Contact Us" page.

How is the AACLC funded?

The Anne Arundel County Literacy Council is a non-profit organization with 501(c)3 status, funded by United Way contributions, corporate endowments, and private donations from members of the community. We do not receive government subsidy for any of our programs. In addition to these sources, we hold fundraising events throughout the year to support operating and program expenses.

Where do referrals come from?

Tutor and student referrals are made by the public library system, local agencies, the Maryland Adult Literacy Center, and many other organizations who serve undereducated adults and volunteers interested in literacy.