New Name, Look Introduced for Arkansas Adult-Literacy Organization

Little Rock, AR (October 10, 2017) – Arkansas’ leading adult-literacy advocacy nonprofit unveiled a new name and identity on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, in a press conference at the State Capitol rotunda. Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas, formerly Arkansas Literacy Councils, sought a name and identity change to better communicate its role in helping adult Arkansans gain and improve health literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy and soft skills.

ALA provides training, funding and additional support through advocacy for its network of 27 councils that serve 39 Arkansas counties.

Executive Director Nancy Leonhardt said the change better communicates the nonprofit’s role in serving the number of adult Arkansas learners with low literacy. “More than 320,000 of our Arkansans 18 and older read below a fifth-grade level, which is the equivalent of filling Razorback Stadium four and a quarter times,” Leonhardt explained. “When advocating for our councils, we are working to ensure Arkansans are better equipped for job readiness, too.”

State Rep. James Sturch of Batesville has helped advocate for local councils to receive funding, which in turn helps councils continue to train volunteer tutors.

“As a representative for the state of Arkansas, it’s important for me to advocate on behalf of ALA, which has not only served residents of Independence County, but also the state as whole,” Sturch said. “I am glad to have had a role in helping the Ozark Foothills Literacy Project, a council located in my home of Independence County, receive $10,000 earlier this year.”

State Rep. Warwick Sabin said that he has experienced firsthand the importance of raising money for councils.

"Improving adult literacy is a critical priority for our state, and our leaders should unite to address it," Sabin said. “I am proud to join Rep. Sturch to support ALA and secure the funding it needs to continue its important work."
The new ALA logo, an opening book, shows the organization understands that reading is a foundational life skill. The use of the bookmark in the logo depicts that its story is still being written by dedicated volunteers and learners who are working to ready Arkansans through ALA.

“Since 1972, we’ve strived to support adult Arkansans in their literacy goals, and under this new name and identity, we will continue to do so for years to come,” Leonhardt said.

For more information on the Adult Learning Alliance, contact Nancy Leonhardt at 501.907.2490 or nancyleonhardt@arkansasliteracy.org.

The Adult Learning Alliance, or ALA, is Arkansas’ leading adult literacy advocacy organization, supporting the personalized efforts of literacy councils across the state working toward the shared goal of complete Arkansas educational readiness and improved quality of life through raising reading, math, digital, health, and English literacy across the state. It provide training, funding and additional support through advocacy to a statewide network of community-based literacy councils who, with its support, lay the foundation of adult education through a variety of readiness and literacy tutoring. For more information, visit www.arkansasliteracy.org.

400 West Capitol Ave. Suite 1802
Little Rock, AR 72201

This release was published on openPR.