History
Literacy Volunteers of Illinois (LVI) was founded in 1979 to serve as a technical assistance and training agency for volunteer literacy programs affiliated with the national Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) organization. LVI initially served as a “mid-level” support system for local LVA affiliated programs with the goal of monitoring and providing training to programs to ensure that they were in compliance with LVA Standards.
The two recessions of the 1980’s and the resulting displacement of millions of workers in the manufacturing industry who had difficulty finding new jobs based on their skill sets, sparked concerns about the literacy abilities of the nation’s population. The National Literacy Act of 1991 and the results of the National Adult Literacy Survey of 1994, which found that one in every four adults lacked basic literacy skills, also brought attention to the issue of low adult literacy rates in the U.S.
The national recognition of a need for adult literacy initiatives helped LVI earn funding for AmeriCorps*VISTA and AmeriCorps National Service Programs that place members in adult and family literacy programs around Illinois. In 1995, LVI also began the Jump Start Program, which recruits volunteers to act as tutors and mentors for incarcerated youth in the Illinois Youth Centers. LVI began by working with four LVA programs. Today, LVI provides resources and services to staff, tutors, and students in approximately 100 adult literacy programs statewide.
Read more about this topic: Literacy Volunteers Of Illinois
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