The Greater Baton Rouge Literacy Coalition is essentially a community network of individuals and organizations committed to improving literacy levels in the Baton Rouge area. The concept behind the Coalition is depicted in the figure below:
 

 

The work of the Coalition is rooted in a community-wide Literacy Plan, developed by a broad base of community stakeholders. Before creating this plan, the Coalition commissioned a study of current literacy services in the Baton Rouge area. This report confirmed that limited efforts were in place to address adult literacy needs but that many potential learners struggle to break through the barriers to appropriate opportunities. For example, literacy programs are not necessarily available in the neighborhoods of the greatest need. The map below shows that literacy services are distributed throughout East Baton Rouge Parish but that more sites are located outside the areas of greatest need than within them.

Literacy Service Locations

 

The Current Services Report also examined the barriers experienced by literacy service providers and identified a need for improved collaboration among providers, increased funding, standardized measures of progress, and better access to training and curriculum improvement. The Greater Baton Rouge Literacy Coalition is committed to:

  • Increasing literacy service provider capacity and learner enrollment
  • Raising community awareness
  • Building creative partnerships to increase investment in literacy initiatives
  • Developing a system to measure the effectiveness of literacy programs
  • Promoting the highest standards for services

The Greater Baton Rouge Literacy Coalition currently serves a network of eight adult literacy providers, including six community-based nonprofit organizations, one program affiliated with Louisiana State University, and the public school system’s adult education program with 19 sites. These providers actively participate in monthly Stakeholder Advisory Council Meetings, benefit from Coalition-sponsored training opportunities, and are eligible to apply for Coalition funding and programmatic support.