Indy Reads has Record Year in 2009

(Indianapolis, IN) – In 2007, the first year that Indy Reads operated as an independent non-profit, the adult literacy organization provided free tutoring to 351 adults in Marion County. Now, just two years later, Indy Reads has more than DOUBLED their services.
“We’ve worked with 725 literacy and ESL students this year,” said Indy Reads Director of Programs, Tom Miller, “plus there are another 125 who used our Literacy Labs.”
“This is extraordinary: 850 adults! We’ve helped more adults to read in Indianapolis than ever before in our 25 year history!” said Executive Director Travis DiNicola. Indy Reads began as a volunteer based organization and received not-for-profit status in 1984 and was a program of the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library until the end of 2006 when the organization became independent. “IMCPL remains our greatest partner in providing literacy services,” said DiNicola, “but by being independent, we are able to reach more adults in more communities than ever before. We could not have done this without the very generous help of all of our community partners and dedicated volunteers. Our newest program, providing Literacy Labs in neighborhood centers, jails, and IPS schools, helps us to reach even more adults who struggle with reading.”
The Literacy Lab program provides short-term services for clients, while also giving those clients access to long-term instruction. The Literacy Labs are located where the adult students live and work: in their neighborhoods, providing them the immediate help they need. Free labs are open at designated times, during which “Reading Coaches” volunteer to help adults with “tactical” or task-based reading, writing, and life-skill issues—such as applying for a job, reading a prescription, understanding their bills, and responding to letters from a landlord—as well as providing basic literacy tutoring, and assistance with preparing to take the GED.
Current Literacy Lab locations include: IPS’s John Hope Education Center, the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, the John H. Boner Community Center, Horizon House, LYN House, and Jail II, all in the IPS district, plus a lab at Northview Middle School in Washington Township. The next lab planned is for IPS #14 on Market Street.
Indy Reads 2009 student profile (does not include Literacy Labs):
Ages 18-99, average age being early 40’s
46% African-American, 21% Caucasian, 15% Hispanic, 6% Asian
55% women, 45% men
Average entry reading level – 3rd grade (grade level necessary to read a newspaper – 6th)
50% adult literacy students, 50% ESL students
45% of adult literacy students live in the IPS district
59% meet with their volunteer tutor in urban IMCPL branches serving IPS (more than one third of volunteers live in IPS).

“It’s great to see that we are providing services beyond Marion County now – that was something we could never do before we were independent,” said DiNicola. “The past three years have been inspiring. I’m especially pleased by a new partnership with Washington Township’s Adult Ed program, the Boone County Learning Network, where we train their volunteers, and by our ongoing partnership with IndyPendence JobCorps, providing tutoring to their young women. However, it is important to note that the largest numbers of Indy Reads students live within the IPS boundaries and are served by the IMCPL. This continues to be where the need is greatest. And, though we are helping more adults than ever before, there is a waiting list for our services. Our greatest need for 2010 continues to be more volunteers, and the funds to train them. People ask – why help adults – well, the answer is clear: you are helping to break the cycle. Almost all of our students are parents, and the number one reason a child won’t graduate from high school is if his mother can’t read. Improving adult literacy improves the quality of life for everyone in our community.”

Indy Reads is the only nationally accredited organization in Central Indiana which uses trained volunteers to provide free basic reading, writing, and life-skill instruction to adults through one-on-one tutoring, small group sessions, English as a Second Language instruction, and a Literacy Lab program at neighborhood centers. Indy Reads mission is to improve the literacy skills of adults in Central Indiana who read or write at or below the sixth grade level. Our goal is to “Make Indianapolis 100% Literate.” Visit www.indyreads.org for more information.