More Than 1,000 UA Students Join Forces to Fight Illiteracy in Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Literacy is the Edge, a student advocacy group at The University of Alabama, recruited some 1,134 volunteers through a two-week campaign launched during the fall semester with the goal of fighting functional illiteracy in West Alabama.

Functional illiteracy refers to the lack of basic reading, writing and math skills needed to function in everyday life.

Lauren Musselman, an advertising and public relations graduate student from Memphis, Tenn., serves as president of LITE. According to Musselman, nearly one in four Alabamians has trouble reading. Through the “It’s Never Too Late” campaign, LITE works to reduce this statistic and to increase campus awareness.

“LITE worked to promote literacy through the ‘It’s Never Too Late’ campaign, which emphasized that it is never too late to help others,” Musselman said. “We spoke to almost 50 UA classes and 20 student organizations and reached more than 4,000 students.”

Musselman said the multifaceted campaign included social media implementation, radio and TV public service announcements, a radio program on Tuscaloosa Matters, information tables in the Ferguson Center and the launch of a renovated website.

Dr. Bruce Berger, LITE adviser and a professor of advertising and public relations in the College of Communications & Information Sciences, applauds the new volunteers and the great work of the LITE team.

“This is a wonderful response by our students to a compelling need in the community,” Berger said. “LITE’s campaign focused on this need and the positive difference that one person can make in the life of another, at any age. These many new volunteers will help build bridges to better lives for others in West Alabama.”

Shelton State Community College will offer 90-minute reading tutor training sessions Monday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 4 p.m. in 2255 DeGraffenried Lecture Hall. The University of Alabama will also offer a 90-minute training session on Saturday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. in 216 Reese Phifer Hall.

Students and community volunteers can register for a training session by e-mailing literacyistheedge@gmail.com and indicating a location and time preference. Training will be provided for child and adult tutors, ESL assistants and basic math tutors.

LITE was founded in 2008 at UA. The student group seeks to support the efforts of the Literacy Council of West Alabama by increasing awareness of functional illiteracy in the region and recruiting volunteers to help. Since 2008, LITE has recruited more than 2,000 UA students to support literacy efforts.