Q&A EDITED BY SARAH SUYDAM
WENDY FALB, PH.D.
MEETING THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY ARE
A
A driving purpose in Dr. Wendy Falb’s life has been a commitment to creating
more equitable educational opportunities and a passion for effective community transformation. She served on the GRPS board for 10 years, where she was instrumental in the development of the Museum School and part of the team that increased enrollment for the first time in 25 years and passed a $175 million millage. Dr. Falb has led the Literacy Center of West Michigan as Executive Director for
the past nine years. Since her start, the organization has grown to be the largest community-based adult literacy organization in Michigan and among the largest in the country, instructing over 1,100 individuals annually. With March being National Reading Month—and one in eight adults in West
Michigan struggling with low literacy—we spoke with Dr. Falb to learn more.
Photo © 616 Media
families out of poverty. We’ ll be leading a project that implements a workforce WHAT MAKES YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR WORK?
Michigan and multiple sectors to provide
development strategy in partnership with
skilled training alongside integrated
Corewell Health, GRCC, and WMCAT
The remarkable assets of the people
literacy instruction. By removing literacy
to help employees upskill into midlevel
we serve. Some of our adult learners are
as a barrier, these programs help actualize
health care careers. We’re excited and
congresswomen, engineers, or business
the talents of everyone in our community
know this work will be a game changer for
owners in their own country who need
while also creating a new talent pipeline.
our participants, our largest health care
language skills to work even the most basic
The Literacy Center also creates paths
system, and the entire region.
jobs in the U.S. Some are mothers who
to citizenship, supports citizens returning
speak an unwritten Indigenous language.
from incarceration, and collaborates
Others are refugees who’ve never attended
with multiple school systems to provide a
school until our classes. Their courage and
two-generational approach to children’s
Close to 300 of our 1,100 learners work
accomplishments make them leaders for
literacy. We challenge ourselves to meet
one-on-one with a volunteer literacy coach
their families, community, and our region.
people where they are in life, designing
from the community, and we always have
our programs with, rather than just for,
a large list of learners waiting for a coach.
our adult learners. This approach sets us
Please consider volunteering for this role—
apart from many adult education providers
you’ ll love it and will likely learn just as
and is the foundation for our success at
much (if not more!) as the adult you’ ll be
addressing literacy in West Michigan.
working alongside.
HOW DOES THE CENTER WORK TO INCREASE LITERACY IN WEST MICHIGAN? We work alongside immigrants, refugees, and native speakers of English to provide literacy support tailored to their individual adult needs and priorities. A
HOW CAN THE COMMUNITY GET INVOLVED?
Don’t underestimate what you WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE CENTER IN 2024?
might accomplish, how you might be a changemaker in your community and in
key player in workforce development, the
The Literacy Center was chosen as one
your own life, if you take your personal
Center also partners with employers and
of 10 non-profit organizations in Michigan
passion and skills and direct them toward
other vocational programs across West
to receive just over $1 million to move
solving the unmet needs in our world. WMW
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