Outreach The literacy institutes in the College are also a resource for adult and family education providers in Pennsylvania. The Goodling Institute works collaboratively with the National Center for Family Literacy in Louisville, Ky., to advocate nationally for family literacy programs. Although Pennsylvania has state funds that support family literacy, the William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program is the only federal program that provides grants to state education agencies for local family literacy projects. The Goodling Institute and ISAL also work with nine Even Start projects and 190 other family or adult literacy programs in Pennsylvania through externally funded projects, providing professional development and technical assistance to adult and family literacy practitioners.
This year Van Horn and Sherow also reached out to central Pennsylvania school districts to form partnerships to serve the schools’ needs. They made a point to learn what the districts needed so they could tailor programs to address specific issues. As this outreach project gains ground, they hope to develop collaborative partnerships with more Pennsylvania school districts. The Goodling Institute also offers a series of graduate courses leading to a certificate in family literacy through Penn State’s World Campus. In a partnership between the Goodling Institute and the National Center for Family Literacy, the program enrolls about 50 students per semester who want to enhance their skills and credentials in supporting parents’ and children’s education.
Earlier this decade, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy reported that 13 percent of Pennsylvania’s residents aged 16 and older have limited reading skills.
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