This document discusses global and local literacy issues and potential solutions. Over 793 million adults worldwide are illiterate, costing the global economy over $1 trillion annually. In the US, 32 million adults have low literacy skills, and 63% of prison inmates score at the lowest literacy levels. Locally in Long Beach, 1 in 3 adults have below basic literacy. Several programs aim to address these issues by providing books, education, and job skills training around the world and in local communities. Rotary clubs internationally and in Long Beach donate books and support family literacy programs to help solve literacy challenges.

1. Literacy & Education
THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT LEARNING IS THAT NO
ONE CAN TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU. –B.B. KING

3. What is Literacy?
LETS GET TO THE WORDS OF IT.

4. A Snapshot.
• Over ‘30’ Literacy Types recognized.
• Top Four
– Basic Reading & Writing Skills
– Information Literacy
– Numeracy Literacy
– Computer / Technological Literacy
• Two Primary Literacy Segments
– Basic Reading & Writing Literacy
– Functional Literacy

5. The State of Literacy: The Problem.
OUR WORLD.

7. More than 793 million
adults around the
world cannot read.

9. Females account for 2 of 3
illiterate adults, making
gender equality even
harder to achieve.

11. In countries with literacy
below 40%, per capital
income is estimated at
$600 per year.

13. Illiteracy costs the global economy more than $1 trillion a year
through lost job opportunities and the costs of
unemployment and ill health…
… costs China $136 billion per year.
… costs United States $300 billion per year.
… costs Sudan $486 million per year.
… costs Bandgladesh $1.4 billion per year.

14. The State of Literacy: The Problem.
OUR NATION.

16. An estimated 32 million
adults, of 1 in 7, are
challenged with low
literacy rates.

18. The US Department of Education found,
41% to 44% of U.S. adults in the
lowest level on the literacy
scale are living in poverty.

20. An estimated 63% of Prison
Inmates score in the lowest
levels of literacy.

22. The average literacy score of native-
born adults ranked 10th of 17
high-income countries.

24. There have been no improvements
in literacy rates since 1993.

25. The State of Literacy: The Problem.
OUR COUNTY. OUR CITY. OUR LIVES.

26. 53 % of Los Angeles working-age
population, or 3.8 million people,
have low literacy skills.

28. 166,000 of Long Beach adults are
estimated to have below-working
standard literacy rates.
This equals 1 in 3 adults.

30. Last year, Long Beach unified
experienced a drop-out rate
of 14.7%, or nearly 1,000
students.

32. Lack of writing & math
preparation into California’s
higher education costs the
state up to $14 billion a
year.

33. Solving Illiteracy: The Solution.
OUR WORLD.

34. An African
Explorer &
Words.
Bringing Books to over 33
poor African countries.

35. Kingsley Holgate, African Adventures
Funded by Rotary Foundation
• African Explorer, Kingsley
Holgate
• Partnership with 16 US &
African Rotary Clubs.
• Distributed ‘mobile libraries’
of 19 containers with 950,000
books around Rim of African
Countries.
• Containers converted into
classrooms, medical clinics,
libraries.

36. Job Skills for
the unskilled.
Providing opportunities to
address India’s educational
quality.

37. EduBridge
India, Funded by the Acumen Fund
• Over 180 million unskilled
students in India.
• India faces critical shortages in
skilled labor, despite 2 million
monthly job seekers.
• For 90 USD, students enter
placement program catering to
students with diplomas.
• Program guarantees job
placement.
• Students will typically be first
formally employees in family
and earn salaries up to 110 USD
per month.

38. Solving Illiteracy: The Solution.
OUR NATION.

39. Dolly Parton:
Bringing
words to
youth.
Partnership with Rotary to
help bring over 40,000,000
books to children
internationally.

40. Imagination Library
Dolly Parton Foundation
• Rotary Club sponsorship has
brought the program to over 300
communities.
• Each month, Imagination
Library mails an age-
appropriate book to the children
in the program.
• 85% of families in program read
to their children every day.
• There are over 700,000 children
enrolled in the ‘Imagination
Library’ today.

41. An online
portal for
learning.
Providing free access to
education for literacy
challenged Americans.

42. USA Learns
U.S. Department of Education
• Promotes programs helping
adults get basic skills they need.
• Major areas are Basic
Education, Secondary Education
and ESL skills.
• Provides stories and challenges
for participants to work through
to build skills.
• Some topics include from Going
Places, Money, Housing, Health
and Working.

43. Solving Illiteracy: The Solution.
OUR COUNTY. OUR CITY. OUR LIVES.

44. Rotary helps
young readers
in local
schools.
Provided over 150,000
library books to students in
local schools.

45. Reading by Nine
Rotary Long Beach
• Since 1999, Long Beach Rotary
has provided over 150,000 books
to local students and 62 school
elementary school libraries.
• Over 275,000 has been
contributed by Long Beach
Rotary to the Reading by Nine
Program.
• Volunteers regularly visit local
Long Beach schools to read
books to children that were
provided by the donations cited.

46. Learning
together: A
family
literacy
program.
Providing Long Beach
families the opportunity to
learn.

47. Toyota Family Literacy Program,
Long Beach, CA
• Enables adults with children 1 to 8 to
enroll in education alongside their
children.
• A variety of programs provide
opportunities for dedicated, interactive
and vocational adult education.
• Adults in program: 73% of participants
are at or below the poverty level, 61%
have not passed 9th grade.
• Children in program: 91% improvement
in grades, in comparison with
classmates
• 90% program retention rate (compared
to 50% drop-out rate nationally).
• Noted as flagship model for Adult
Literacy Program.

48. Achieving Literacy: The Opportunity.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

50. What is next…?