Why Literacy Matters

• 43% of adults with low literacy live below the poverty line.
• 70% of welfare recipients have low literacy.
• Individuals with low literacy have difficulty comprehending their personal healthcare and medical needs and are therefore more likely to be in poor health.
• Children of adults with low literacy will likely (72%) have even lower literacy skills.
• Illiteracy correlates with low education levels.
• Child mortality rates are significantly higher when the mother is uneducated.
• Low literacy and education levels also have a negative impact self-esteem, self-empowerment, self-sufficiency, critical thinking and decision making skills, political participation, interpersonal skills, and creativity.

Utah County, 2017

The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that Utah County would have an adult illiteracy rate of ~8% or 28,000, but if you consider …

• Population: 560,000
• Children (under 18): 196,000
• Utah County has a poverty rate of 13%

Applying the national average of 70% illiteracy among adults in poverty, there could be as many as 33,000 adults in Utah County who can’t read above a 4th grade level.

Project Read’s Impact

By continuing to offer tutoring in literacy and life skills, Project Read is able to change the lives of individuals, and improve the economy of Utah County.

Each student that comes to project read helps break the cycle, improving the education, health, and quality of life of the next generation.

As students increase their literacy and education levels, they become more employable and start earning more money. One student who earns a High School Equivalency can earn an extra $8,000 annually–nearly a 40% increase for that person.

$1 donated to Project Read results in about a $3 return to the county.

Project Read by the Numbers

• Each year, Project Read works with about 100 adult literacy students.
• At any given time, Project Read has 40-50 active tutoring pairs.
• The Project Read library has over 2,000 books selected to help adult learners improve their literacy skills.

In FY2016 …

• 194 volunteers donated 4,573 hours.
• (59 tutors donated 3,708 hours)
• 6 students entered employment.
• 76% of students who retested gained at least one grade level in either reading, language, or math.
• 1 student passed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• 2 students entered a post-secondary program.
• 85 students met at least 1 literacy goal

Where your donation goes

Project Read is funded entirely by your donations and a few federal grants.

Your donation helps:

• Create and maintain tutoring materials
• Provide lab instruction to further assist students
• Ensure efficient management of resources
• Produce outreach and marketing materials
• Maintain accurate records of student progress
• Sustain communication between Project Read staff and tutors and students

The tutors at Project Read are all volunteers and receive no compensation for their time.

The Provo City Library allows us to operate from an office on the second floor, without asking for rent or utilities. This helps keep operating costs to a minimum.