(Media release from Georgia Northwestern Technical College):
Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) Adult Education students on each campus are touring their campus libraries in recognition of National Literacy Month.
GNTC, northwest Georgia’s largest Adult Education provider, serves Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, Polk, Walker and Whitfield counties.
“The purpose of Adult Education and National Literacy Month is to highlight the importance of Adult Education for Georgia’s families, communities and workforce,” said Lisa Shaw, GNTC’s vice president of Adult Education. “GNTC’s Adult Education program offers classes in Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language and provides ‘Training on the Go’ opportunities and career services for our students.”
Shaw explained, “Last year we assisted 259 students in obtaining their High School Equivalency opening doors for their future and positively impacting Georgia’s workforce.”
Campus library coordinators are conducting a library orientation for the students as part of the tours. Event organizers are excited to have the tours in-person this year after conducting them virtually last year.
Students toured the Gordon County Campus on Thursday, Sept. 8; Walker County Campus on Monday, Sept. 12; Floyd County Campus on Tuesday, Sept. 13; and Whitfield Murray Campus on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The Polk County Campus tour will take place on Monday, Sept. 26, and virtual library tours will be held for off-campus sites for Catoosa, Chattooga and Dade counties on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
GNTC is an official General Educational Development® (GED®) Testing Center and a site for computer-based GED® Testing in partnership with Pearson Vue, GED® Testing Services, and the Technical College System of Georgia. The mission of GNTC’s Adult Education program is to enable every adult learner in the service delivery area to acquire the necessary basic skills to be able to compete successfully in today’s workplace, to strengthen family foundations and to exercise full citizenship.
GNTC’s Youth Success Academy is specifically designed for out-of-school youth who wish to attain a GED® and a technical education; program participants participate in GED® preparation, job readiness, workshops and leadership activities. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Success Academy is sponsored through a partnership with GNTC and Northwest Georgia Regional Development Center.
In conjunction with National Literacy Month, Gov. Brian Kemp proclaimed Sept. 4-10 as Adult Education and Family Literacy Week in Georgia.
“Approximately 43 million Americans cannot read or write above a third-grade level, and in Georgia alone, roughly one million individuals over the age of 18 have not completed high school or received a High School Equivalency Credential,” Kemp’s proclamation stated.
Heightening public awareness of literacy rates can alleviate illiteracy, as well as support and strengthen workplace, school and volunteer literacy programs on the local, state and national levels, according to the proclamation. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Week observance encourages Georgia residents to learn about resources available to improve literacy, regardless of age.
Julie Norman, GNTC Whitfield Murray Campus Library coordinator (right), hands Adult Education student Norma Vasquez books she has checked out from the campus library.