The Capital Area Literacy Coalition helps children and adults learn to read, write and speak English with an ultimate goal of helping individuals achieve self-sufficiency. We achieve this through direct services and by enhancing literacy efforts of community organizations in the Capital Area and throughout the state of Michigan.

Welcome to Capital Area Literacy Coalition (CALC) a private, non-profit volunteer literacy organization founded in 1986. CALC, or The Reading People, provides a variety of services to enable people to achieve personal goals through literacy. We believe that the ability to read is critical to personal freedom and maintenance of a democratic society.

These beliefs have led us to make the following commitments:

  • We are committed to the personal growth of our students
  • We are committed to the effective use of volunteers
  • We are committed to improving our society
  • We are committed to strengthening, and improving our organization
  • We are committed to supporting literacy organizations

The Challenge:

According to the 1999 National Adult Literacy Survey, 20 percent or approximately 40,000 adults in the Greater Lansing area are functionally illiterate. Many cannot read well enough to hold a job, read directions on prescriptions, or read to their children. Adults who are functionally illiterate cannot read above the 3rd grade level. They cannot:

  1. Complete a Social Security application
  2. Read a pay stub
  3. Understand directions on a bottle of medicine
  4. Calculate the total of an order form
  5. Read the instructions for a microwave dinner

We Provide:

Free, one-to-one instruction in reading and writing for children struggling in school, at risk-teens, and adults. We also provide tutoring to migrant and refugee families and English as a Second Language instruction. Diagnostic testing and vision screening are free. Our typical program commitment is two-hours per week, for a period of six months.

Goals:

  • Increase workplace literacy
  • Help at-risk youth
  • Develop family literacy
  • Provide for personal improvement and achievement
  • Create a collaborative literacy model for businesses, schools, community agencies, and higher education

Major Activities:

  • Recruit students and tutors
  • Provide tutor training
  • Match tutors and students and monitor progress
  • Conduct research for program improvement and evaluation
  • Develop special programs for dissemination
  • Diagnosis of students
  • Collaborate with other agencies and schools

Growth:

Has been rapid since our founding in 1985. Last year we served approximately 1,000 people in many programs. We have many tutoring sites in the tri-county area including churches, community centers, libraries, businesses and schools.

A Quality Program:

The Capital Area Literacy Coalition delivers an exceptionally high-quality program. Because of its proximity to Michigan State University, many undergraduate and graduate students choose to obtain independent study or intern credit for their work with our programs. Professors and technical/clerical workers generously donate their time. Our director, Dr. Lois Bader, an M.S.U. professor, is an internationally-known authority in literacy and learning. Thus, students obtain a high level of service regardless of any disability or learning difficulty they may have. Click here to find out more about our program reviews.

Endorsements:

The City of Lansing Ingham County The City of East Lansing The Comcast Literacy Fund

Professional Memberships:

Michigan Nonprofit Association

Literacy USA
The National Alliance of Literacy Coalitions