More Help for Adults Who Can’t Read
Literary Services of Wisconsin expands, new headquarters in Brewers Hill.
Visitors attend the opening of the Literacy Services of Wisconsin’s new headquarters in Brewer’s Hill, 1737 N. Palmer St., on July 16. (Photo provided by Literacy Services of Wisconsin)
In a county where one in four adults read at or below a third-grade level, Literacy Services of Wisconsin is doing what it can to help break down adult literacy barriers.
On July 16, the organization opened its new headquarters, at 1737 N. Palmer St., in the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood. Literacy Services provides free help to Milwaukee-area adults looking to continue their education, including GED prep, help in the transition to college and more.
More space brings bigger opportunities
The organization’s new headquarters includes several classrooms, space for virtual learners and a lounge.
Students can learn directly from Milwaukee Area Technical College professors teaching on site in the new dedicated MATC classroom.
The new Literacy Services of Wisconsin headquarters in Brewer’s Hill includes a Milwaukee Area Technical College community classroom where students can prepare to transition from “community to college,” Executive Director Holly McCoy says. (Photo by Alex Klaus)
MATC works with Literacy Services to help students transition from “community to college,” McCoy said. Classes typically build the necessary literacy and numeracy skills to succeed in college courses. Last year, 63 students transitioned from Literacy Services to a post-secondary school.
“We are kind of known for GED, whereas, like when people think of MATC, they think college,” McCoy said. “We kind of create the bridge.”
Literacy Services is also raising funds to develop a GED testing room with four stations. As the organization works to raise funds, it did receive good news recently as a $235,000 freeze in federal funding was lifted.
Frozen funds had presented major challenge
Literacy Services was one of many adult education programs waiting on federal funds frozen by the Trump administration. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, which supports adult education programs, covers about 10% of Literacy Services’ budget.
The Trump administration has frozen nearly $7 million in federal funding for adult education programs in Wisconsin, impacting Literacy Services of Wisconsin and MATC. It was announced Friday, July 25, that the Trump administration had released $6.8 billion in frozen federal education funding.
McCoy said before the funds became available that losing them would have a “tremendous impact” on her organization’s programming.
“We’ve thought about these things and we definitely don’t want to see a disturbance to our students,” McCoy said.
‘Open to the community’
Holly McCoy, executive director of Literacy Services of Wisconsin, cuts the ribbon during the grand opening ceremony for its new headquarters in Brewer’s Hill. (Photo provided by Literacy Services of Wisconsin)
As the headquarters moves from downtown to Brewers Hill, McCoy looks forward to growing roots in a more accessible and centralized location.
Ray Hill, executive director of Historic King Drive Business Improvement District 8, is excited the new center is in her district.
“This location matters. It’s not tucked away. It’s in one of Milwaukee’s most historic and visible neighborhoods. It’s accessible, it’s walkable, and, most importantly, it’s open to the community,” Hill said. “Having invested in partners like LSW here creates an effect.”
Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the new location opens doors for Milwaukee adults who want to grow, learn and thrive.
“Here in our city, we believe that it’s never too late to finish your education, to earn a diploma, or even to pick up a brand-new skill,” Johnson said. “Literacy Services is making all of that possible, and I’m proud that Milwaukee is a place where opportunity doesn’t stop, it actually expands. It grows.”
Alex Klaus is the education solutions reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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