Educators, community activists and government officials kicked off a program on Sunday to promote literacy in Washtenaw County.
The Family Literacy Initiative is a collaboration of 15 local organizations that want to spread the word about the perils of illiteracy on families and the community.
At a kickoff event Sunday, Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Naomi Norman told attendees the direct link between illiteracy and poverty can only be stopped if everyone gets on board.
“The schools have to do their part, but we also need to work together with our community partners. We have amazing community partners when it comes to literacy support, so we can’t do it alone. It has to be a community effort.”
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist attended the kickoff and praised the coalition for their efforts. He says there are counties across Michigan facing the same literacy challenges.
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