Literacy Connects
Literacy Connects is a community resource serving Tucsonans in need.
About Literacy Connects
Literacy Connects is a Tucson community resource serving people of all ages through literacy and creative expression. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization connects learners with educational opportunities intended to support personal growth, participation, and contribution. Its mission is to connect people of all ages to a world of opportunities through literacy and creative expression, with a vision of a society where those opportunities are championed, fully supported, and accessible to everyone.
The organization offers programs for adults, children, and K-12 students. Adult and Workforce Education helps adult learners develop English language skills, basic literacy, math, and computer skills. The program also helps learners prepare for the GED and supports adult learners with employment goals. Through this work, literacy is treated as more than a classroom subject. It is connected to employment, education, personal interests, and participation in the wider community.
Children's programming includes Reading Seed, which partners with Title I schools to support students in developing healthy relationships with books and reading. Literacy Connects selects and trains volunteers to provide one-to-one reading coaching for students in kindergarten through second grade. Students also receive free books selected according to their individual interests, with the goal of encouraging independent reading. The program brings together trained community volunteers, schools, and young readers in support of early literacy.
Arts Integration programs serve K-12 students by giving voice to their original words and creative ideas through a variety of literacy and arts programs. This work reflects Literacy Connects' belief that creativity and imagination are central to innovation and deep learning. The organization's core values also include transformational learning, opportunity, collaborative relationships, and joy. Together, these values shape an approach that links literacy with self-expression, creative problem-solving, and the ability to take part in community life.
Literacy Connects traces its roots to a 2007 Tucson Regional Town Hall, where community leaders discussed critical issues facing the region and identified increasing literacy levels as a way to support a prosperous economy and improved quality of life in Tucson. A diverse coalition continued the discussion, and in July 2011, five local organizations merged to become Literacy Connects. Since then, the organization has emphasized equity and equal access to educational opportunities, making its programs available to all. It also stands against discrimination, racism, and hatred, and strives to be welcoming regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information.
Digital Equity is another part of Literacy Connects' work. The organization recognizes that digital access and the digital literacy skills needed to navigate today's world are connected. Together, these support educational goals, personal interests, work, and civic engagement. Literacy Connects advocates for making both digital access and digital literacy skills available to every member of the community. Tucsonans can connect with the organization through its adult and workforce education, children's programs, Arts Integration offerings, and Lending Library. Community members can also attend a volunteer information session, explore ways to volunteer, or support the mission through donations and other ways of giving.