Why Literacy…
Because it is the foundation for every social justice effort we can and should engage in.
• 65% of 4th-graders continue to score below proficiency in reading
• 33% of all children – and more than 50% of low-income and minority youth – fail to graduate high school on time
• Only 33% of high school graduates have the skills needed to succeed in college and the workforce
• Only 10% of
minority students who enroll in college will graduate
• 759 million adults – 16% of the world’s population – have only basic or below basic literacy levels
• 66% of the world’s lowest literacy adults are women*
All people need some form of literacy in order to be engaged in the fight for social justice, whether the cause be education, immigration, LGBT issues, women’s rights, economic justice or racial justice. By supporting the literacy needs of our country, SCALE works to provide the tools necessary to vote, to speak out about issues that matter to us, to protect us against discrimination and help our children succeed in school. SCALE is helping to empower individuals to make change and to build better lives within our communities.
