Become a Sponsor
Literacy DuPage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers free, customized tutoring to help adults age 21 and older achieve their life skill goals. We serve individuals who need to build basic English language skills or who read below a 9th-grade level. Many of our learners face barriers that make traditional education difficult to access—such as limited transportation, lack of childcare, demanding work schedules, or challenges succeeding in a classroom environment.
Download our Sponsorship Packet
Who needs assistance?
According to the 2023 American Community Survey, DuPage County includes:
54,309 adults who do not have a high school diploma.
88,836 individuals who speak English “less than well”.
70,756 residents living in poverty (poverty threshold for a family of four is $31,200).
Additionally, children of parents with low literacy skills have a 72% chance of achieving only the lowest level of literacy when they become adults, creating a cycle of illiteracy and poverty that can span generations.
Literacy DuPage recruits, trains, and supports approximately 215 volunteer tutors who provide tailored instruction to over 275 learners annually. Tutor-learner pairs meet at a public library up to two hours every week and lesson plans are learner-centered, goal-driven and flexible depending on the learner’s life skill goals.
Some of the life skill goals adult learners are working towards include reading, writing, speaking, listening, enhancing employment skills, going to the doctor, talking to their child's teachers, reading to their children or helping them with homework, learning how to call 911, and many more!
Your sponsorship will support:
Program Development and Expansion - Enhancing our curriculum and expanding our reach to underserved communities.
Tutor Training and Resources - Ensuring our volunteer tutors are well-equipped with the latest teaching methodologies and materials.
Learner Services - Providing learning materials and access to technology for our learners.
You will make a difference!
By partnering with Literacy DuPage, your organization will not only help transform lives!
Your support will be prominently acknowledged in our marketing materials, social media channels, and at our community events, ensuring visibility and recognition for your generous contribution.
Download our Sponsorship Packet
When communities work to improve low literacy, it leads to:
Increased individual and family income.
Lower unemployment.
Improved health conditions.
Decreased incarceration rates.
Reduced public assistance need.
Who are our Learners?
Literacy DuPage learners need to build basic English language skills or read below a 9th-grade level.
Our learner base represents 29 different native languages and 40 countries.
The average age of our learner is 43.
49% are seeking employment or are underemployed.
79% are female.
51% are parents of minor children.
60% of Literacy DuPage adult learners have some post-secondary education in their native language. However, many are unable to find careers in their fields of study due to their lack of English skills.
“I just celebrated the 20 year anniversary of the first student I tutored. We kept in touch. I worked with him on passing TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and then his GRE to get into graduate school at University of Illinois Chicago. Today he is a licensed architect working in Chicago and has designed buildings in Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Israel, Kazakhstan and the U.S.”
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a meaningful impact in our community.
If you have additional questions or would like to become a sponsor, please contact Kristin Chmiel, Executive Director, at [email protected] or 630-384-9340.