Broadcast date: 9/4/2014
The San Luis Obispo Literacy Council reports as many as 25 million Americans cannot read or write. There are an estimated 25,000 functionally illiterate adults in San Luis Obispo County alone.
In the past literacy was the ability to read and write, and understand numbers, but more recently more diverse “literacies” have emerged to include digital, financial, media and even health fields to meet the needs of our increasingly complicated world. UNESCO, the founder of International Literacy Day on September 8th believes “literacy is a human right and the foundation of all learning.”
What are basic literacy skills in our society? Who determines which skills are important? Who is qualified to be a tutor?
Host Kris Kington-Barker is joined by guests Bernadette Bernardi the Executive Director with the San Luis Obispo Literacy Council, Beverly Schwartzberg the Adult Literacy Coordinator with the Santa Barbara Public Library System, Eddie Taylor the CEO of the United Way of Northern Santa Barbara County and a partner in the Community Literacy Initiative, and Laura Arteaga Davidson the Director with the Central Coast Literacy Council to discuss the importance of developing literacy for individuals, their families and the community.
Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX.
