News

Thanks for your interest in Literacy Action of Central Arkansas. Our offices are closed and student services are temporarily reduced as we try to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our community. If you are interested in becoming involved with Literacy Action as a student or

(Updated June 2020) Amanda started literacy tutoring in July 2018 with a great attitude and ready to get to work. At that time, Amanda was in the middle of a job search because she had recently lost her job at a local nursing home. From the beginning, Amanda’s first tutor, Herla

Overcoming Doubt to Learn to Read: William’s Progress and Potential When William became a student nearly six years ago, he could only write his name and sing the alphabet. His supervisor brought him to our office because he wanted to learn how to read. She told the Literacy Acti

Surviving War and Turmoil: Theva’s Journey from Laos to Learn English By: Irma Jaime, AmeriCorps Tutor, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas When Theva was 18 years old, she came to the United States from Laos, a country in the midst of war and political change. When Theva arrive

In the fight against adult illiteracy, Sara Drew is trying to change lives ‘one word at a time.’ By: David Karas, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 August 2018 *Please click the arrow at the bottom left corner of the article to read page 2.   Thank you for taking the time to read

Being Brave to Learn English: Sam’s Journey to Conversational English By: Cara Gieringer, Volunteer Tutor at Literacy Action Sam Park moved to the United States in February 2017. Before that, he lived in Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. Sam worked at the headquarte

GAIN Client, Eric, Inspires Others to Improve Literacy By: Liz Hall, AmeriCorps VISTA, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas When Eric enrolled as a student at Literacy Action last fall, he set two goals: go back to school and get his driver’s license. Despite having his high scho

ESL Classes Offer More than English: Students Find Friendship, Self-worth and Community By: Liz Hall, AmeriCorps VISTA, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas Echoing through the halls of the former schoolhouse at St. Edward Catholic Church are laughter, worldly accents, and joyful sound

From Gangbanger to Bishop Bodyguard “I chose the streets instead of my education.” When Michael was going to elementary school, it simply wasn’t required for him to attend regularly. “I wanted to be my own person and do what I wanted to do. They didn’t make you go. You wen

Finding Her Voice: Beatriz Chavez When Beatriz Chavez came to Literacy Action’s Conway Office in January 2017, she already had a strong foundation of English. But, that hasn’t stopped her from wanting to learn more, practice her speaking skills, and dream big about where h

$1,500 parish grant boosts new family reading program at Little Rock learning center By: Aprille Hanson, Associate Editor, Arkansas Catholic, February 10, 2018 In the rush of everyday life, reading with a child can easily be pushed aside. Couple that with knowing limited English and i

Literacy Action is gearing up for its 11th Annual Tour de Toad Bike Ride! The official bike ride of Toad Suck Daze in Conway will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2018. The ride will start at 11:00 AM at the Conway Municipal Airport, 3250 Sand Gap Road, Conway, Arkansas 72034, with registr

Literacy Action Receives $22,000 from Party With a Heart’s Fundraisers in 2017 Thank you Party with a Heart for supporting us in 2017! Party with a Heart is a nonprofit organization that increases awareness, education, and support for causes within our community by bringing wome

Heflin Youth Foundation Awards $5,000 for New Family Literacy Program In 2018, Literacy Action of Central Arkansas will start its pilot family literacy program, Project LIFT (Literacy Inspiring Family Transformation). We are excited to be among the first recipients for a grant of $5,0

  A Letter from Sara Drew, Executive Director Dear Friend of Literacy Action,  We’re just one week away! November 28, 2017 is the day that shows how every act of generosity counts and every act means even more when we give together. We are excited about #GivingTuesday for s

From Sharecropper’s Son to Reading Enthusiast John* was born on the day World War II began, Pearl Harbor Day in 1941, in the east Arkansas flat delta farmlands. He was a sharecropper’s son and went to very poorly funded “colored” schools in Keo, 20 miles south-east of Little Roc

Three Ways to Give Support Without Paying an Extra Dime! Literacy Action knows that tutoring can be a big commitment that requires a lot of your time and energy. If this is not the best time for you to tutor a student, here are three ways you can give for free that will still have a b

BHP has awarded Literacy Action of Central Arkansas a $6,700 donation to support literacy programming in Faulkner County.  By Log Cabin Democrat Aaran Mattson, Literacy Action’s Faulkner County program coordinator, and her student use the program’s current equipment to work on literac

Characters like Scout Finch, places like Narnia and Middle Earth, and stories about proud, prejudiced lovers have inspired us for years. However, in central Arkansas, over 145,000 adults do not have the literacy skills they need to fill out a job application or read a prescription lab

Student and Tutor of the Year Award Winners We had a great time on September 29th honoring our students and tutors at Shine a Light on Literacy. We were pleased to present our Student of the Year Award to Christina Cook. Christina worked incredibly hard this year to make huge strides