Central Georgia Technical College’s Adult Education Division is once again focused on the importance of literacy programs as it celebrates National Literacy Month, highlighted by student success stories and the Division’s involvement in the upcoming 8th Annual Race for Education on September 9, 2017 on the College’s Warner Robins Campus.
 
As the month aims to address the needs of over 90 million Americans with skills at basic and below basic levels, and the roughly 1.1 million adults in Georgia over the age of 18 who have not completed high school or received a GED diploma, the Division hopes success stories demonstrate its impact.
 
“Annually during Literacy Month, we thank our legislators and community partners for helping us to continue to provide opportunities for our students.  We also celebrate our success stories during Literacy Month and raise funds to extend opportunities for our students at the CGTC Career and Opportunity Center,” said Brenda Brown, vice president for the Adult Education Division.
 
Over the last school year, the Adult Education Career and Opportunity Center served 2,694 students, and graduated 710 students with a GED (Georgia Equivalency High School Diploma) from service sites in 11 counties, which include Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Dooly, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, and Twiggs.
 
During National Literacy Month, the Division shares success stories with the community and recruits volunteers and partners to work as a team to impact the drop-out rate and increase the graduation rate. Many students have already benefited from CGTC’s Adult Education and Career Opportunity Centers, Accelerated Opportunity, Dual Enrollment and College classes that impact the literacy rate for 11 counties.
 
Cora Leonhardt is an example of a student success story.
 
"It wasn't easy. The AO Program demanded a lot of my time and effort, but I've always been the kind of person who knows that hard work will pay off in the long-run. Now that I've had success with earning my GED and I’m taking college classes, I know who I can turn to for help so that I can keep furthering my education,” Leonhardt said.
 
Governor Nathan Deal proclaimed September 4-8 as Adult Education and Family Literacy Week and the day of September 8, 2017 as Literacy Day in Georgia. Deal said that illiteracy is a social problem which may be alleviated by increasing public awareness of illiteracy rates, providing greater support for literacy programs among public libraries, and establishing workplace, school, and volunteer literacy programs on the local, state and national levels.