The Problem

Did you know that....

More than 10,000 Knox County adults cannot read or write above a sixth grade level?
More than 46,000 adults in Knox County do not have a GED or high school education?
There are adults who cannot complete a job application, read medication instructions, or help their children with homework?

The Solution

As a nonprofit organization, Friends of Literacy actively pursues its mission: to support the delivery of free, high quality adult literacy classes and related services in Knox County.

Friends of Literacy currently supports these programs in our community:

Knox County's Adult Education Program
Knox County Justice Center
Pellissippi State's Adult Education Program
Ross Learning Center (CAC)

These program award General Equivalency Diplomas (GEDs) and help hundreds of students learn to read.

A Success Story

Literacy Builds a Better Life

Several years ago, Lee came to us with the encouragement of his supervisor, upon discovering that he did not have the skills necessary for his job. Reading maps, manuals, and other instructional documents was something he could not do on his own.

"You have to read the manuals, and I couldn't do that. I would have to ask somebody, and that was very hard to let somebody know you couldn't read at the age of 30 years old," Lee says.

With Lee's courage, and his supervisor's and Friends of Literacy's support, Lee learned how to read and write. "I didn't think I could do it. I really didn't think I could learn to read and write, but after a couple of months seeing I could, i just stayed with it. Friends of Literacy is a very good program because it's made a great difference in my life, plus my family's life."