For approximately 90,000 of DC’s adults, low literacy skills are a barrier to just about everything – completing their education, getting and keeping a decent job, and staying out of poverty.

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The Washington Literacy Center removes the barrier by teaching basic skills – word attack (sounding things out), fluency (reading at a proper pace), and comprehension (understanding and thinking critically) to adults who read below a fifth grade level.

What

we do

The Washington Literacy Center(WLC) has been helping DC residents with the greatest barriers and fewest resources learn to read since 1963.

The WLC has grown into a dynamic

nonprofit with full-time staff,

professionally-trained instructors,

and  passionate volunteers.

Who

we are

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Donovan Barnes

My name is Donovan Barnes, and I have written this letter on behalf of the Washington Literacy Center, a place that has helped to shape me into the person I am today. Now, I can simply go off on a tangent and share a “rise above” story, but I would rather tell you about myself and the opportunities that have presented itself over a time period of a year.

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Unlike our typical students, I came to the center with a high school diploma, and previous college experience, studying psychology. As you are reading this, you might ask me why did I choose to come here? What did I gain from the Washington Literacy Center? I would say that I gained a vast amount of connections and experience that has been cultivating and motivating me to do better with myself...

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Susan Bendlin came to the Washington Literacy Center in June 2018 seeking an opportunity to touch lives by volunteering to teach reading to our students. There were several students who expressed an interest in continuing their studies through the summer, so Susan was able to begin teaching right away.

Susan comes to the Washington Literacy Center as an attorney with experience as a law professor and Dean of Student Affairs for several law schools. Susan has a wealth of volunteer experience for various community-level organizations, including a “Read to Succeed” program for elementary school students in Orlando, FL. Susan was able to transfer her years ...

Susan Bendlin

Acquiring literacy is an empowering process, enabling millions to enjoy access to knowledge and information which broadens horizons, increases opportunities and creates alternatives for building a better life. 

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 - Kofi Annan

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