History
Founded in a church basement, Literacy Action is now the oldest, largest, and leading adult basic education nonprofit in the Southeastern United States.
May 19, 1968 The spring of 1968 was a time of strife and change for the United States especially for Atlanta. The death of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his funeral…
May 19, 1970 In the early 1970s, volunteers from outside of the church began supporting Literacy Action to teach writing and reading skills; the Junior League of Atlanta was a lead institution in…
May 19, 1980 In the 1980s, Literacy Action experienced exponential growth throughout the Atlanta area, in Georgia, and even in the Southeast. Through relationships with Georgia Tech, Literacy Action piloted distance learning tools…
May 19, 1990 “We were new in Atlanta and I found Literacy Action,” Carol Bartlett remembers. “I had taught English before, but the training from Literacy Action was phenomenal. We had wonderful students,”…
May 19, 2016 At the turn of the millennium, the increasing use of technology in all aspects of society affected Literacy Action’s teaching methods. Thanks to the generosity of major corporations – like…
May 19, 2016 Today, Literacy Action offers classes to all levels of adult learners working toward a certain functionality goal or a specific credential, like passing the General Education Development (GED) exam. Classes…
May 19, 2016 In December, 2013, Literacy Action began a renovation of its current space and an expansion to the entire floor at the Robert W. Woodruff Volunteer Service Center at 100 Edgewood…
May 19, 2016 Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta (LVA), a 28-year old organization located in downtown Decatur, became a part of Literacy Action on July 1, 2014. After seven months of planning, a merger…
August 1, 2017 In July 2017, Literacy Action opened the doors to its most digitally-focused, student-centric adult literacy campus in its 50 years. By relocating to a new facility in the Peachtree Center…
1968 – Founding a Movement
1970s – Adapting a Regional Mission
1980s – Creating Literate Communities
1990s – Developing the Workforce
2000s – Integrating Technology
2010s – Opening Doors to Opportunity
2013 – After expanding we can now teach 225 students at the same time.
2014 – United with Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta
2017 – Move to Peachtree Center
