About Literacy Forsyth

Our History

In 1993, a group of volunteers established the Forsyth County Advocates for Literacy to address a functional illiteracy rate that at the time exceeded 30% of the adult population. Its stated mission was to provide literacy education to those who were:

• Born in the U.S. but had not completed high school and/or passed an entrance exam to a community college or technical school.
• Born outside the U.S and in need of language skills in order to be safe, productive workers and improve their parenting skills.

The Advocates renovated three rooms in what is now called The Family Center to use as classrooms and administrative offices. Students received free tutoring in English, math, science, and social studies. Lanier Technical College provided the materials and teachers.

Over time, the agency struggled to survive. It was plagued by a declining membership and a lack of participation among influential community leaders. In 2001, Advocates for Literacy dissolved and re-formed under new leadership and a new name, Promoters of Adult Literacy, or PALs. In 2003, another local volunteer literacy organization, Literacy Volunteers of Forsyth County, teamed with PALs to form a single entity aimed at raising literacy rates among adult residents.

Between 2001 and 2005, PALs re-focused and strengthened its efforts. Leaders from county government, media, business, civic organizations, the public school system, and churches were recruited to serve on their Board of Directors. Using data from the 2000 Census, PALS established targets and service goals for raising literacy rates in the county.  PALs teamed with Lanier Technical College to support the Adult Learning Center to provide GED tutoring and ESL classes.

In 2005, PALs became a member of the Georgia Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) and changed its name to the Forsyth County Certified Literate Community Program (now Literacy Forsyth) to form the county’s sole adult literacy non-profit. By mobilizing all of Forsyth’s major resources (i.e. local governments, businesses, school system, court system, churches, and the community), Forsyth County hoped to achieve the status of Certified Literate Community by 2015.

In 2009, the organization established a DBA of Literacy Forsyth. This shorter name more accurately reflects our mission, but our legal name has not changed. We also moved our offices to the Hill Center.

In 2010, we reached our 10-year goal of providing literacy services for 7,256 Forsyth County residents -- four years ahead of schedule!  

Our administrative offices are located in the Hill Center at 136 Elm Street in Cumming, but literacy services are delivered at schools, churches, and public buildings throughout the county.

About the Certified Literate Community Program in Georgia

The State of Georgia launched the Certified Literacy Community Program (CLCP) in 1990 as a means of addressing adult literacy rates across the state. Improved literacy rates help the state attract new businesses -- and jobs – thereby increasing self-sufficiency among all residents.

The Georgia CLCP was modeled after other highly successful programs such as the Keep America Beautiful Program and the United Way Campaign. It seeks to unite major sectors of communities to achieve difficult goals. Partnered with the Department of Adult and Technical Education, it provides experience and guidance to member agencies.

To qualify as a participant in the Georgia CLCP program, a community is required to set a goal of reducing its functional illiteracy rate by 50% within ten years. At a community or county level, each member agency must identify literacy goals, build an organization to deliver literacy services, and meet or exceed their stated goals within a 10-year time frame in order to earn the designation of Certified Literate Community. Each CLCP member organization is responsible for securing local community support and funding.