from VCCA Journal, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring/Summer 1988, 38-39
© Copyright 1988 VCCA Journal
The Mountain Empire Community College involvement in addressing the problem of adult illiteracy exemplifies the various roles the community college can play in supporting existing programs and implementing auxiliary programs.
Several years ago the college became actively involved with existing volunteer literacy programs by providing college work study students to work as tutors and by offering college credit for tutoring. College faculty provided tutor training classes while administrative staff assisted in grant writing, printing, word processing, and graphic arts.
Although these volunteers programs are essentials to meeting the needs of the adult learner, the college determined that volunteer programs have been fragmented and limited in their efforts; therefore, the college moved to consolidate the geographically diverse existing programs into a more unified approach through funding from the Virginia General Assembly. As a result of Mountain Empire's efforts, funding was provided for project PRIDE (Providing a Rural Initiative for Developmental Education).
PRIDE is designed to serve the four countries of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickerson (partial) as well as the City of Norton. Because approximately 60% of the target population lacks adequate transportation, adult learning centers are established in carefully selected areas to serve a greater number of adults. PRIDE offers a variety of materials including basic literacy, pre-GED, GED preparation, and English as a Second Language. All PRIDE instruction and materials are free to adult learners.
The goal of the PRIDE project is to serve the educational needs of 500 students this first year.
The accomplishments of the PRIDE project have been significant; however, to insure success, it is essential that PRIDE continue to work closely with existing programs as well as business and industry to provide a literate work force by the year 2000.