SPRINGFIELD –– Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White announced today that he is awarding $6.6 million in literacy grants to local businesses, educational providers and other organizations throughout Illinois as part of his ongoing effort to provide citizens with the reading, writing, math and language skills necessary to be successful in all aspects of their lives.
White said funding for the grants is included in the Fiscal Year 2002 budget for the Secretary of State's office that was approved last month by the General Assembly and signed recently by Governor Ryan.
"These funds allow hundreds of outstanding local entities to provide education and training to men, women and children who need literacy skills to be productive at home, at work or in their community," White said. "I am proud that my office has been able to foster outstanding partnerships with these local programs to help citizens obtain the skills and knowledge they need to be better parents, employees and students as well as more active, successful members of their communities."
White said the Secretary of State Literacy Office/Illinois State Library oversees six specific literacy grant programs, and that grants being awarded today are for three of the programs:
- The Community Volunteer Literacy Grant Program provides grants of up to $70,000 to community literacy agencies to provide training for volunteers who tutor adults over the age of 16 in basic reading, writing, math or language skills.
- The Family Literacy Grant Program gives grants of up to $35,000 to provide instructional services to parents and children to enhance their basic reading, writing, math or language skills together and separately. Libraries, adult literacy providers, and agencies working with children at risk partner to provide these programs.
- The Workplace Skills Enhancement Program provides matching grants of up to $10,000 for Illinois businesses to work with an educational agency to provide on-site basic skills instructional services to their employees.
White said he has visited many of the local programs that benefit from these grants, and witnessed firsthand the impact such programs are making in the lives of students.
"I admire these students for improving their literacy skills through hard work and determination," said White. "They are a reminder to all of us that with courage and perseverance, we can overcome obstacles and hardships to achieve greater personal and professional satisfaction.
"I would like to thank the Governor and the General Assembly for working with me to provide our local organizations with the financial resources they need to keep making a positive impact on the lives of our literacy students."
FY02 WORKPLACE SKILLS ENHANCEMENT GRANT PROGRAMS -PDF
FY02 FAMILY LITERACY GRANT PROGRAMS -PDF
FY02 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER LITERACY GRANT PROGRAMS -PDF
