Schumer Announces $400K in Federal Grants for the Long Beach Adult Learning Center; Investment will Support the Implementation of Literacy Programs for Adults on Long Island

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Long Beach Adult Learning Center is being awarded $400,000 in federal funding through the Workforce Investment Act, administered by the New York State Education Department. The Act brings together public and private resources to create Workforce Investment Boards, which act to spur local employment. Workforce Investment funding targets students who are 16 and older to help them achieve their goals. The Long Beach Adult Learning Center will use this funding to implement its "Literacy Zone" program, which will create a Family Welcome Center aimed at providing educational instruction and support services, as well as its "Adult Basic Literacy" program, which will employ multiple forms of media to ensure its students can learn English and literacy skills, as well as obtain a GED, and much more.

"Knowing how to read is the key to employment, education and so much more, and every penny we invest in teaching adult literacy pays itself off ten-fold," said Schumer. "This investment will help ensure that the Long Beach Adult Learning Center can help those who need to learn English, as well as literacy skills."

"I would like to thank Senator Schumer for his support of the Long Beach Adult Learning Center," said Marcia Mule, the Director of Alternative and Adult Programs at the Center. "Workforce Investment Act funding allows the Adult Learning Center to enhance and expand services to students under the age of 21 by providing pathways to post-secondary education, apprenticeship programs and employment. We are very excited to have been awarded funding for the Literacy Zone. Establishing a Family Welcome Center in Long Beach will allow us to develop a well-coordinated pre-kindergarten through postsecondary and adult literacy strategy that will raise literacy and English language proficiency for individuals and families. Once again thank you for all your efforts."

The Long Beach Adult Learning Center offers adult basic education, GED preparation, a high school diploma program, English for speakers of other languages and a community computer center.

In March, Schumer wrote to Commissioner John B. King Jr., of the New York State Education Department, in support of the grant applications made by the Learning Center for both programs.

The "Literacy Zone" will partner with local organizations, such as Nassau County Department of Social Services, Hempstead Works, and several others, to provide educational instruction and support services. The "Adult Basic Literacy" program will teach English literacy skills with the target of students achieving a proficiency level allowing them to obtain a GED and achieve future goals.

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