BY OLIVIA S. GOODHEART
This week, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded the Jackson State University School of Lifelong Learning a $15,000 grant to support adult literacy. This grant is part of more than $7.5 million awarded to nearly 900 schools, nonprofits and organizations across the 44 states that Dollar General serves.
Dr. Carlos D. Wilson, interim director of Special Academic Credit Programs, said, “We are fortunate to receive this support from Dollar General. It will assist in our effort to expand literacy and help individuals in the communities we serve.”
Wilson said, “I want to acknowledge to work of Tamara Herron, interim program coordinator, and Angelina Howard, basic skills teacher, who were instrumental in assisting the school in obtaining this grant.”
The adult education classes will provide adults the opportunity to earn a high school credential. It will also measure career and college readiness skills, which are the focus of today’s curriculum, as well as needed for success in both workforce and college programs. The learners recruited for the proposed program will be undereducated/unemployed/underemployed residents from Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties who are seeking to enhance their abilities through obtaining their HSED.
“Dollar General is excited to provide these organizations with funding to support literacy and education throughout the 44 states we serve,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “Providing these grants and supporting the communities we call home reflects our mission of Serving Others and it’s rewarding to see the impact these funds have.”
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $135 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 8.6 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.
About Jackson State University School of Lifelong Learning
The School of Lifelong Learning is a unit within the Jackson State University College of Education and Human Development led by Dean Daniel Watkins. Watkins has been very supportive of the development and expansion of adult education and literacy programs according to Wilson.
Equipped to meet the needs of the present day workforce, nontraditional and other adult learners across the state, region and nation — the school is also designed for adult learners who wish to begin, continue, complete, or enhance their development on a part-time or full-time basis. Additionally, the school serves as a training center for state, local, public, and private agencies, as well as an undergraduate student classroom and research facility.
[pullquote]The mission of the Continuing Education Learning Center (CELC) is to offer adult students quality learning opportunities throughout their lifetime. The primary goal of the School of Lifelong Learning’s CELC at Jackson State University is to make a significant impact on the literacy level of the greater-Jackson area’s workforce and thereby make a positive impact on the local, state and national economy. [/pullquote]
About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Dollar General is among the largest discount retailers in the United States, with more than 13,000 stores. Through its Dollar General Literacy Foundation, started in 1993, more than $135 million in grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 8.6 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.
For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.dgliteracy.org.