The Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida’s mission is to improve the self-sufficiency, economic mobility, and quality of life for adults through continuing education and literacy skill building with personalized, flexible, goals-based tutoring and small group instruction.
Since beginning in 1969 as Learn to Read Jacksonville, the Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida has provided free literacy instruction to adults seeking to improve their reading, writing, and math skills.
The Literacy Alliance first formed to provide one-on-one volunteer tutoring. Today, we continue to offer that powerful level of instruction, but have also grown and changed with the needs of our students to include computer assisted instruction, small group classes, as well as instruction in basic math skills, financial literacy, health literacy, and career coaching.
We are the largest adult literacy program in the community and one of the largest in the state providing instruction to over 500 adults every year who receive over 20,000 hours of learning. And, they find success. 89% of our students regularly increase their reading levels or meet a personal development goal.
1969: Literacy Action established in Jacksonville following the Literacy Action Georgia model in assisting youth with homework.
1970: Literacy Action expands to adult literacy by introducing the Laubach method into its instruction and the community.
1972: Literacy Action incorporated as Learn to Read.
1977: Learn to Read receives its first grant for adult literacy from United Way of Northeast Florida.
1995: Learn to Read launched the first workplace literacy programs in the community.
1996: Office relocated to downtown Jacksonville to increase access for students.
1999: Learn to Read held its first fundraiser, the Srabble Soiree.
2002: Received accreditation from ProLiteracy, the newly formed national organization resulting from the merger of Literacy Volunteers of America and Laubach Literacy.
2003: Learn to Read started its first English learning classes.
2004: Learn to Read launched its first adult basic education classes.
2005: Began offering employment training and career readiness classes for workplace skills, computer skills, interviewing and resume writing.
2007: Began offering financial and health literacy.
2008: Two Learn to Read adult education students received the “Flight for Freedom” award from the Florida Literacy Coalition and the Student Excellence Award from ProLiteracy.
2012: Began providing literacy instruction in Duval County Public Schools through Tiger Academy at the Johnson Family YMCA.
2012: Established the first satellite location at Community Connections of Jacksonville.
2014: Began providing basic math instruction.
2015: Received its first City of Jacksonville Public Services Grant for adult literacy.
2018: Awarded funding from the Florida Department of Education for adult literacy with incarcerated adults.
2019: Partnered with the Barbara Bush Foundation to pilot smart phone based adult literacy apps.
2020: Launched the first formal digital literacy program in the community in partnership with Literacy Minnesota and Northstar Digital.
2020: Established the first AmeriCorps program in Jacksonville for adult literacy.
2020: Renamed the Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida.
2023: Officially recognized by the Florida Department of Education as an approved provider of adult education and became the first non-profit in the state to receive that approval as part of the FDOE’s strategic plan.
2023: Recognized by Bank of America as one of only two organizations in the community with the Neighborhood Builders award for increasing community access to adult education.
