Mayor revitalizes adult-literacy program

The numbers are distressing. One in five adults in Philadelphia is not able to read a book or a newspaper properly.

More than 50 percent struggle to follow written instructions or complete a job-application form, compared with 37 percent statewide.

This in an increasingly service-driven economy, where reading skills are key for getting almost any kind of job.

Marking U.N. International Literacy Day on Wednesday, Mayor Nutter took a step to tackle the problem by reestablishing the Mayor's Commission on Literacy and announcing 16 new members.

The commission's goal: focus more on adult literacy, an issue Nutter called a "serious crisis" in Philadelphia.

"The majority of jobs in this city demand a high level of literacy," Nutter said at a news conference inside the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, where the commission will be based. "Low literacy is a major barrier to many Philadelphians looking for meaningful employment and has a real economic impact, not only on their lives but in the economy of the city as a whole."

According to the mayor's office, the commission, formed in 1983, has been dormant in recent years. The Nutter administration decided to add "new life to the board." Now, volunteer board members are not only city officials and representatives of educational institutions, but also employers such as Douglas Howell, president of Howell Bros. Chemical Laboratories Inc., and community activists, such as Renee Murdock, vice president of Project HOME.

The executive director of the commission will soon be announced, a spokeswoman for Nutter said Wednesday.

The economics of the city "has changed from traditional workforce to public and service-oriented jobs," said Marciene Mattleman, president of After School Activities Partnerships and a commission member. "Reading is, more than ever, a key access to get a job in this city."

And for the poor, it can be life-changing.

"For homeless people in the city, reading skills give them a tremendous improvement of their life," said Murdock. "It will enable them to participate in community life."

The commission will provide information and guidance to adults interested in getting a GED, learning English as second language, or receiving help to improve basic reading skills. A commission staff member will be available at North CareerLink at 10th and Spring Garden Streets for professional education.

Literacy volunteers will become adult-literacy tutors and will assist with specialized programs such as adult education classes for city employees and educational help for parents of young children. Introductory computer classes will be offered at the Free Library - along with, not to forget, free books.