Literacy DuPage awarded $20,000 from DuPage Foundation

Literacy DuPage Receives $20,000 Community Needs Grant from DuPage Foundation Literacy DuPage was one of 31 not-for-profit organizations to receive a grant through DuPage Foundation’s Community Needs Grant Program (Community Needs). During the Fall 2021 Community Needs cycle, DuPage Foundation awarded $432,193 to organizations working in education, arts & culture, environment, and animal welfare. Literacy…

Image of two hands holding a heart and the words - Health literacy Month, Promoting understandable health information all October long

Health Literacy is Essential for Everyone

October is Health Literacy Month. This year marks the 22nd anniversary of Health Literacy Month, presented by the Institute for Healthcare Advancement. This annual, worldwide awareness-raising event is a time to promote, integrate, and expand the mission of health literacy, which is defined as how people find, understand, and use information and services to inform…

"Uplifting Lives"

Helping to fill the need

A diverse range of cultures in DuPage County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 18.9% of DuPage County residents (176,000) are foreign-born, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. This large immigrant population has produced a rich palette of languages across the county. In 2018, 26.5% (232,282) residents spoke a…

Picture of different flags with the words - Hablemos! Let's Talk!

Hablemos! Let’s Talk!

Hablemos! Let’s Talk! Hablemos unites the community. Hablemos is a Spanish- and English-language conversation group for DuPage County residents. It’s a community effort with Literacy DuPage facilitating the discussion, and WeGo Together for Kids (a collective impact collaboration of West Chicago Elementary School District 33) providing the Zoom platform for the group to meet. Before…

"Dream are reached when PEOPLE HELP PEOPLE"

Soyoung and Kim

Poor English-language skills can increase isolation. Not knowing English in America can cause a learner to feel lonely and detached. For Literacy DuPage learner Soyoung, not being able to interact in her community left her with feelings of depression. Then she heard about Literacy DuPage from a friend, and she was excited for the opportunity…

Blog image with the words Probation Tutoring Program at Literacy DuPage

Probation Tutoring Program at Literacy DuPage

SPARKING conversation at probation. It started with an observant judge and a compassionate probation officer. In 2014, probation officer Randall Wernecke was speaking with Chief Judge Daniel Guerin, of the DuPage County 18th Judicial Circuit Court. Judge Guerin noticed probationers in his courtroom who could not understand, read, or fill out necessary forms. He wondered…

Got a second? Fight illiteracy.

As much as our tutors accomplish, many more people in the area wish for a better life by improving their language skills. Literacy DuPage’s waiting list includes 300 more people who hope to be matched with a tutor. Overall, more than 100,000 people in DuPage County need help improving their English-language skills.