The mission of the Read Center is to change lives through adult literacy. Since 1984 we have provided adult literacy training through classroom instruction, one-to-one tutoring, group tutoring, specialty classes, and workshops. The Read Center provides free literacy services to adults in metro Richmond. More than forty-three million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level equivalency. In the Richmond area, one in six adults have low literacy skills. Low literacy skills affect an individual’s health, education, employment, housing, and economic outcomes. Literacy skills are critical to navigating employment changes, keeping up with health and wellness needs, and adapting to a digital society.
Lack of literacy disproportionately impacts historically disadvantaged communities due to systemic factors such as limited educational opportunities, racism, and residential segregation and discrimination policies. The impact of these factors on adult literacy in the Richmond metro region is reflected in our student population. Most of Read’s students are reading at or below a 3rd-grade reading equivalency.
The Read Center holds a unique position in the cycle of adult education and is the only literacy agency in metro Richmond that services adults with extremely low literacy levels.
