Advocacy is speaking up for someone else.  Literacy Connexus advocates for persons with literacy needs.  Sometimes this voice is raised through the legislative process; sometimes it means raising awareness in churches of the need to help those in their own communities and beyond. Literacy Connexus stands shoulder to shoulder with adult learners, churches, and literacy coalitions across the state and nation, to make a difference in the lives of people who struggle with literacy issues.

Through advocacy, Literacy Connexus seeks to:

• Bring attention and assistance to many in our state/country who lack basic education:
  • High school dropouts–estimated rate as high as 33% in Texas
  • Persons who do not speak English
  • Children who do not have books at home
• Raise awareness of church-based literacy ministries:
  • Importance and effectiveness of this community outreach
  • Funding needed
  • Resources to promote and recruit volunteers
  • Need for more GED classes

Current Issues

The Texas Education Agency reports that Hispanic students in 2011 account for 50.2 percent of the state’s public school enrollment, placing that population in the majority for the first time. The continuing growth of the Hispanic sector requires serious reform in Texas’ education system to eliminate the economic, language and technology-access barriers for Spanish-speaking children. Yet Texas lawmakers, faced with a projected $15 billion budget shortfall in the next two years, are discussing public education funding cuts.

Too many in Texas struggle with literacy needs

• Refugees arrive with high hopes and limited resources for learning English and acclimating
• Youth drop out of school, fail to engage, need access to remediation/GED
• Children enter first grade ill-equipped to learn

What You Can Do

Encourage awareness of ethnic diversity in your community, and the accompanying needs of non-English speakers and readers.

Be a voice in your church for the 3.8 million across Texas who lack the literacy skills to earn a living or study a Bible. Promote adult literacy and ESL classes to your church as a means of ministering to families in your neighborhood.

Know the issues and understand the legislative process. Send letters/emails to local, state and federal elected officials.

Consult Fifty Ways Your Church Can Further Education and Promote Literacy in Your Community. Many of these ways are advocacy-focused.