About the KLC

Yearly Learners

Volunteers

Literacy Centers

About
the KLC

50 years ago, the Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) began its work of empowering adults to reach their full potential by providing free adult literacy services. The organization has grown and changed substantially since 1974 when a small group of local residents answered a public call in the newspaper to help adults learn to read. Today, the KLC has 155 active tutors helping 517 adults in need of literacy instruction. Our ESL of Southwest Michigan program serves more than 130 immigrants and refugees helping them become empowered as parents, employees, and community members. The Parent Literacy Together program in collaboration with the Adult Education and Training Program at Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan has reached nearly 200 parents helping them become more confident and capable first-teachers of their children. Jobseekers come to the KLC weekly to gain employment skills through the JOBS Program in collaboration with Michigan Works! Southwest and Goodwill Industries.

The KLC is the host agency for the Edison Early Childhood Education Career Pathway, which has helped more than 50 residents, including adult learners from our programs, get jobs that pay a living wage as Early Learning Professionals. This past year, the KLC collaborated with Western Michigan University to envision the Edison neighborhood as a learning neighborhood through the EDISON: EDucation IS ON Project. It is efforts like these that have allowed the KLC to be the preeminent messenger and advocate for adult literacy with a growing faculty of dedicated and talented tutors and instructors. This is quite impressive for a “volunteer-led, staff-supported organization” that is leading the charge to achieve a fully literate community.

The KLC supports the Declaration for the Right to Literacy and boldly proclaims that Everyone Needs to Read to excel at work, teach their kids, and keep their family healthy. Each year, the staff, Board, partners, and volunteers look forward to making strides to achieve our vision of a fully literate community. We are committed to creating lasting and permanent change for the cause of adult literacy and the adult learners and families we serve.

The KLC is the only organization in Kalamazoo County with the exclusive purpose of providing free basic literacy instruction to adults. Since its inception, it has been the leading voice for the cause of adult literacy, mobilizing, and training volunteer tutors to teach struggling adult readers throughout the county.

Check out the latest issue of our Literacy Advocate newsletter to see what’s happening at the KLC!

Our staff

Michael Evans, Executive Director & Chief Literacy Advocate
Jessi Pavey, Operations Manager
Kito Jumanne-Marshall, Marketing & Development Manager
Abbey Weathers, Volunteer & Internship Manager
Kamaria Snell, Parent Literacy Navigator
Tameca Black, Adult Learning Services Navigator
Charles Miller, ESL Adult Learning Services Navigator
Roeshell Ollie, Neighborhood Network Center Coordinator, Interfaith Homes
Jaclare Mitchell, Neighborhood Network Center Coordinator, New Village Park
Mike List, Early Learning Support Specialist

Lawonda's Story

Mard Little Award for Adult Learner Excellence recipient Lawonda White cites part of her motivation for coming to the KLC: “I wanted to read to my son. I wanted to teach him.” With our help and through her own dedication, Lawonda grew from a struggling reader to a position as an Early Learning Professional with YWCA Kalamazoo.

Our
purpose

Mission: Enhance the lives of adults by improving their reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension skills

Vision: Empower adults to reach their full potential

Our
History

Our story began with a group of passionate residents who wanted to make a difference in the lives of adults who struggle to read.

1974 – KLC Founded
The KLC was founded by local residents in response to a public call for adult reading tutors. After tutoring independently and meeting informally for four years, members formed a charter organization and elected officers.

1984 – New Councils in Eastern Michigan
A flourishing KLC joined an effort to establish new literacy councils on the east side of Michigan.

1986 to 1995 – Involvement in Literacy Network
From 1986 to 1995, the KLC played a significant role in the Literacy Network, a state-funded initiative to coordinate community literacy needs.

2007 to 2008 – Start of Strategic Planning
The KLC began a strategic planning process to build capacity within the organization with funding from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Dorothy Dalton U. Foundation, and the John E. Fetzer Institute. The KLC shifted from an all-volunteer group to an organization with a professional staff and governing board to better meet its mission.

2010 – Partner with Goodwill Industries
The KLC formed a collaboration with Goodwill Industries of Southwest Michigan to strengthen the adult literacy services provided in the areas, and received a three-year grant from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.

Hire of Full-Time Director
A full-time executive director, Michael D. Evans, was hired to strengthen adult literacy services and to establish the Adult Literacy Collaborative (ALC) of Kalamazoo County. The ALC meets monthly, and serves as the venue for determining adult literacy priorities, identifying and expanding resources, and aligning services and programs.

2011 – Developed the Community Literacy Center (CLC) Model

Launched the Everyone Needs To Read Public Awareness Campaign

- Developed Literacy Advocate Orientation
- Created PSAs, posters, and other media items to promote adult literacy

2012 – Joined The Learning Network of Greater Kalamazoo as the Adult Learning Action Network (ALAN)

Started the Read and Seed community garden

2013 – Launched the ExpressWays 2 Success program (GED)

2014 – Celebrated the KLC’s 40th Anniversary

2015 – Launched Southwest Michigan Community Literacy Initiative – Phase I through the Region 8 Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI)

Established Adult Literacy Research and Training Symposium in collaboration with WMU
22 Community Literacy Centers supported in the region
ESL of Southwest Michigan (formerly Portage ESL) supported by RPI

2016 – Received Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Funding

Hosted first Summer ESL Program at Westwood United Church

2017 – Adopted ESL of Southwest Michigan as an ongoing program of the KLC

Developed the Job Opportunity & Basic Skills (JOBS) curriculum

Hosted first Navigation Strategies Workshop in collaboration with Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan and Kalamazoo Adult Education

Presented the first Everyone Needs to Read: A Literacy Vision for Kalamazoo County class with the WMU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Established the Mard Little Award for Adult Learner Excellence

2018 – Launched Southwest Michigan Community Literacy Initiative – Phase II through the Region 8 Regional Prosperity Initiative

Distance Learning Network established at eight sites

2019 – Launched Southwest Michigan Community Literacy Initiative – Capstone through the Region 8 Regional Prosperity Initiative

Distance Learning Network expanded to 12 sites
Celebrated 5th Annual Adult Literacy Research and Training Symposium

Led the Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change (PSE) project in Edison

2020 – Launched the KLC Virtual Learning Center

Launched the Parent Literacy Together program in collaboration with Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan, the WMU McGinnis Reading Center and Clinic, and seven other community partners.

2021 – Established the Edison Early Childhood Education Career Pathway

2024 – Celebrated 50 years of empowering adult learners!

Launched the Albert White Literacy Trail and Literacy Lane along the Portage Creek in Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood.

Recognized as Program of the Year by the Michigan Adult, Community, & Alternative Education (MACAE) Association.