Our Mission:
To raise public awareness of literacy as an issue;
To connect those in need of services with providers.

The Northwest Indiana Literacy Coalition is a means for individuals, organizations, businesses, and governmental agencies to connect with providers of basic skills services. The Coalition is an issue driven group. The Coalition is only involved with literacy and literacy related issues. We promote public awareness, cooperative partnerships, information sharing and referrals between literacy programs and communities.

You can find more information about our organization, history, goals, and members on the About Us web page.

Our website gives you information on volunteer groups who will work with you to improve your English, reading, and math skills. To help you find this information, we've organized the website as follows:

• Family Literacy contains information on programs that educate parents and caregivers about the importance of reading aloud with children.
  
  
• GED has information on the GED (General Education Development) programs, testing requirements, and locations of test sites.<
  
  
• Help with Reading provides information on how to get help with reading and desribes the programs offered in your area of Northwest Indiana.
  
  
• Help Learning English includes information on how to get help learning English as a second language and describes the programs offered in your area of Northwest Indiana.
  
  
• How You Can Help contains information on what you can do to assist this worthwhile cause including how to become a member or a volunteer. We need people like you to keep the Coalition active and growing. Our organization is inclusive: Any individual or organizaton may become a member for a modest fee. Our members come from Lake, LaPorte and Porter Counties. Members are from diverse programs that serve diverse constituencies. Individuals representing adult education, volunteer-based programs and community-based programs serve on our Board of Directors.
  
  
• Literacy Programs Near You provides contact information on service providers and volunteer programs. This information is organized by county, state, and national areas. Free adult basic education, GED preparation, and English as a second language classes can be found throughout Northwest Indiana. Your local education or literacy provider may offer college, business or trade school scholarships to students who have recently obtained a GED. If you know of any additional programs that we should add, we'd love to hear from you. Please call us at 800.348.7798 or send us an email using the Contact Form.

Our Programs

The Coalition sponsors several activities throughout the year. These activities include:

• Businesses are encouraged to enter a team in the annual Executive Spelling Bee, a fund raiser held in September.
  
  
• The Coalition awards five (5) Mini Grants per year to individual teachers for use in classroom projects.
  
  
• The Coalition also sponsors workshops and programs for member organizations, including a Volunteer Recognition luncheon and special gifts.
  
  
• During National Literacy Month (September), the Coalition joins with the State of Indiana to sponsor Put Your Nose in a Book and Time Out for Reading with the cities of Hammond and East Chicago.

More information about our organization is available on the Media web page which consists of newspaper articles and press releases.

We'd love to hear from you! You may call us at 800.348.7798 or use the Contact Form to send us an email.

Our Programs:

The Starfish

Every day, an old man walked the beach with a pail, picking up starfish that had been washed in by the tide, and throwing them back into the sea. One day, a young boy stopped the old man and asked, "Why do you throw the starfish back? It doesn't matter. They will only wash up on the shore again tomorrow."

The old man picked up a starfish out of his pail, threw it as far as he could into the sea, and replied, "It mattered to this one."

Vision without action
is merely a dream.
Action without vision
just passes the time.
Vision with action
can change the world.

Remember, you can make a difference!

 Home ¦ About Us ¦ Family Literacy ¦ GED ¦ Help with Reading ¦ Help Learning English
How to Help ¦ Membership Form ¦ Volunteer Form ¦ Literacy Programs Near You ¦ Calendar of Events
Spelling Bee Info ¦ Entry Form ¦ Pledge Form ¦ Past Bee Winners ¦ Time Out for Reading ¦ Put Your Nose in a Book
Mini Grant Info ¦ Grant Application Form ¦ Past Recipients ¦ Affiliates ¦ Media ¦ Contact Us ¦ Site Map