Announcements & News
Ulster County Adult Literacy Week 2024
September 3, 2024
Proclamation Day
HOLD THE DATE
| WHAT: | County Executive Jen Metzger and Kingston Mayor Steve Noble will issue a proclamation declaring the week of September 16, Ulster County Adult Literacy Week 2024. |
| WHERE: | Kingston Library at 61 Crown Street. Kingston. NY 12401 |
| WHEN: | Monday, September 16, 11:00 AM EST |
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS
Amy Lenard, Executive Director of ULA / amy@ulsterliteracy.org
EVENT DESCRIPTION
County Executive Jen Metzger and Kingston Mayor Steve Noble will issue a proclamation declaring September 16-22 Ulster County Adult Literacy Week to raise awareness of the social and financial costs Illiteracy imposes on our county.
Low literacy affects everyone. Studies directly link low literacy to chronic unemployment and poverty. In New York State, the number of functionally illiterate residents, meaning they read below a fifth-grade level, is approximately 3.9 million, and 25,000 reside in our county.
The Ulster Literacy Association (ULA), a non-profit founded in 1981, provides adults with personalized instruction in reading, writing, and English communication skills. ULA’s vision is to foster a society where everyone can access life-changing learning.
International Literacy Day has been celebrated worldwide each year since 1967. Last year, we organized the second annual ULA Day to raise awareness of the importance of literacy and the programs we provide to help overcome it. Seven Ulster County bookstores participated last year, donating 10% of day sales to ULA.
This year, the Proclamation will kick off a week during which we will share information about ULA programs, facts, and stories about our tutors and learners daily via social media. We will also hold fundraising events, including the main one, ULA Day, on Saturday, September 21st, when participating county bookstores will donate 10% of sales to ULA. We hope to add a few new bookstores to the seven that participated last year.
If you would like to join us or have any questions, please respond via email or call Amy at 845-331-6837.
Ulster Literacy Changes People’s Lives
Estimated 25,000 in UC Need Help Reading