Northern Nevada Literacy Council

Project Overview

Nevada continues to struggle with a workforce shortage. NNLC believes literacy and education are the foundation for workforce development. This project will offer classes to achieve a high school equivalency, English Literacy classes, and Citizenship classes throughout the community in outreach locations such as the Washoe County Libraries, Employers/Businesses for incumbent workers, the Eddy House and Casa De Vida for the at risk youth, and the Native American reservations/Head Start programs.  Access to programs is at the core of NNLC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies as creating access to literacy programs is key to this project. 

The Nevada Department of Education reported the graduation rate for Nevada dropped 1.5 percentage points. Nevada's graduation rates have historically been below the national average, now more than even, our community must rise to the challenge brought on by COVID-19 of ensuring adult learners have literacy and educational opportunities available to them. NNLC has never closed during the pandemic.  We continue to meet the needs of our low-income adult learners who struggle with literacy preventing them from enrolling in post-secondary education, vocational training, and securing employment with sustainable wages.  Together with our community partners to include the local libraries, employers through the Reno + Sparks Chamber, and community agencies such as JOIN Inc., Community Service Agency and the Head Start Program, we can support our low income, displaced youth, parenting youth, foreign board English learners, and those who identify with low literacy, driving this population towards post-secondary education/training, and into careers with sustainable wages for themselves and their families. NNLC is currently grant funded through the Nevada Department of Education-Adult Education, and the only nonprofit organization in the North providing this service.  NNLC continues to meet and exceed measurable skills gains for all participants leading to post-secondary enrollment and employment.