The Other Literacy Crisis
- Vero Minute
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Much of Indian River County's conversation about literacy centers on children, and rightly so. Organizations like The Learning Alliance have done essential work confronting the early childhood reading crisis, making sure kids arrive at third grade with the foundation they need.
But there's a parallel crisis that gets far less attention: the adults who never got that foundation -- or who came to the country without it -- and are now working towards building a better life.
The numbers are stark: roughly 36 percent of adults in Indian River County are considered low-literate, and in Fellsmere, fewer than a third hold a high school diploma.
For more than fifty years, Literacy Services of Indian River County has been tackling that problem quietly and without a dollar of government funding, through more than 150 volunteer tutors serving nearly 300 adult students each year. Students emerge from the program able to navigate leases, pass citizenship exams and qualify for jobs.
On March 13, LSIRC invites the community to celebrate that work at its annual Love of Literacy Luncheon at Bent Pine Golf Club, beginning at 11:30 AM.
The program centers on the recognition of LSIRC's Students of the Year — adults whose perseverance reflects what the organization makes possible every week across the county.
The keynote speaker will be Dawn Tripp, nationally bestselling author of Jackie and Georgia, who will speak to storytelling, resilience, and the power of voice. Autographed copies of her books will be available through the Vero Beach Book Center.
Proceeds support LSIRC's free adult literacy programs. Reserve at literacyservicesirc.org or call 772-778-2223.
