AEL Program Receives Dollar General Grant for Literacy

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded the East Central College Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program with a $10,000 grant.

The grant will be used to support literacy by helping to fund a volunteer coordinator for the program, according to AEL Director Alice Whalen.

“There are more than 15,000 adults in the East Central College service district without a high school diploma, and more than 3,000 who solely speak a language other than English at home,” she said.

“The grant will strengthen our partnerships with the East Central Area Literacy Council and the work of the county committees which serve the needs of our students, volunteers and teachers.”

Whalen added that the AEL program is free to everyone.

There are day classes available in Franklin and Phelps counties, including Sullivan, Union, Washington and Rolla.

There are evening classes in Franklin, Crawford, Gasconade, Montgomery and Phelps counties.

For times and locations visit www.eastcentral.edu/ael/.

Dollar General Grant

This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent award of $10.5 million donation to support family and adult literacy programs, representing the organization’s largest one-day grant donation in its 28-year history.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading.

Literacy Foundation

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $197 million in grants, helping more than 14 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency.

To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit www.dgliteracy.org.