August 30, 2021 
Kalamazoo Scrabble Fest returns to benefit adult literacy

The Kalamazoo Literacy Council will host the 10th Annual Kalamazoo Scrabble Fest to raise awareness of adult literacy. The festival plans to raise funds to expand basic literacy services for adults who struggle to read.

August 25, 2021
Kalamazoo Literacy Council combats low adult literacy in West Michigan
“All across the state, all across the country, we do find that there are adults who struggle to read and the term functional literacy really means reading at 0 to fourth grade level,” Michael Evans, the executive director of the Kalamazoo Literacy Council, said. “Most documents for adults struggling to read at that level, they may not be able to read it independently. So that might mean the mail you receive, the applications you need to fill out if you try to apply for a job — not being able to search those jobs and be able to see how you fit.”

July 21, 2021 
First in 47
Published by our partners at the Kalamazoo Promise, this article celebrates the appointment of Cyekeia Lee to KLC board president as well as our Parent Literacy Together program. 

July 13, 2021
Intern-driven discussion groups boost English language learning at nonprofit
“Pamela and Yesenia’s dynamic discussion groups have increased the confidence, independence and satisfaction of our English language learners,” says Executive Director Michael Evans. “We appreciate the ongoing collaboration we have with WMU to bring expertise such as this from the University to our organization to help us make a greater positive impact in our community.”

June 15, 2021
Child Care Legislation Aims to Grow Access, Create Incentives for Industry
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a group of bipartisan lawmakers held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to unveil a package of bills aimed at increasing access to child care services, particularly for working families.

March 26, 2021
Community Staffed, Community Served
“There is a demand for more childcare providers in Kalamazoo County and in the city of Kalamazoo,” said Rose Fetzer, KLC’s Adult Learning Services Navigator, “The program also provides learning opportunities. In the Edison neighborhood, we saw individuals who wanted to move into the ELP career path.”

March 22, 2021
State Programs Working to Address Shortage of Childcare Workers, Providers 
While work is being done on the state level to address these problems, local communities are also taking action. It’s one of the reasons the Edison Early Childhood Education Career Pathway was started. It’s a partnership between the Kalamazoo Literacy Council, Southwest Childcare Resources, and YWCA Kalamazoo to help people pursue a career in early childhood education. A major part of the program is a full-time, paid eight-month apprenticeship that will result in a childcare development associate credential.

March 8, 2021

Kalamazoo Opens First 24-hour Child Care Center in Edison Neighborhood
In partnership with Kalamazoo Literacy Council and Southwest Child Care Resource, the YWCA of Kalamazoo prepared to open a new expansion to their childcare program in the Edison Neighborhood.