Metro United Way says illiteracy is an ongoing challenge in the region, and the agency is starting a new program this week to improve literacy in three southern Indiana counties. Associate Director of Community Building Kerri Cokeley says it’s a broad problem, but they’re starting with a small area.“We are focusing our efforts on at-risk youth and adults who have been displaced from their job or who are under-employed, or under-skilled, who have the capacity to do more if they had more training," she says.Cokeley says public meetings will be held in southern Indiana starting this week to get ideas on how best to improve literacy in the area. In the meantime, they’ve teamed up with the National Center for Family Literacy to gather data on literacy rates there. All Community Conversations will run from 6-8p.m. on the following dates:
- April 23, 2009: Harrison County Community Foundation, 1523 Foundation Way, Corydon, IN 47112, (812) 738-6668 to RSVP.
- April 28, 2009: Ken Ellis Center, 1425 Pennsylvania Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN 47130, (812) 285-6440 to RSVP.
- April 30, 2009: Salvation Army, 2300 Green Valley Road, New Albany, IN 47150, (812) 944-1018 to RSVP.
