A new partnership with Augusta Technical College will help the Augusta University Literacy Center fulfill its objectives.
“Our mission has always been to see children, adolescents and adults achieve a high quality of literacy,” said Betsy VanDeusen, literacy center director.
However, the literacy center has worked mainly with children and adolescents in recent years.
Starting Jan. 5, 2023, adults will be able to take classes two days a week at the literacy center’s new home at the HUB for Community Innovation Augusta, which had its grand opening June 25. Free adult literacy and high school equivalency preparation classes will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, according to a news release from Augusta Tech.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for adult literacy students. Students will not only have access to an education, but they will also have access to wrap-around services, all in one location,” said Angela Moseley, Augusta Tech’s dean of adult education, in a news release.
Class sign-up is available in Building 300 on the Augusta Tech campus or email adulted@augustatech.edu for additional information.
Paulette Harris started the literary center in 1990 with its main initiative to help adults who struggled to read. While working with them, staff and volunteers discovered the children of those adults needed help as well.
For three decades, the center was on Magnolia Drive in Forest Hills. Satellite campuses were added over the years. When the main center closed in 2019 for renovations, tutoring services shifted to the Augusta Public Library.
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The Augusta Literacy Center’s home at the HUB has several rooms including a small library and individual learning. VanDeusen likes that her office is in the same building where the tutoring takes place.
“It’s so nice to have all of it here,” she said.
Many of the volunteer tutors are Augusta University students, but VanDeusen said anyone interested in volunteering should fill out an application.
The need for services is great, and that many children are behind because of the pandemic and time away from the classroom, she said.
The Augusta University Literacy Center shares the HUB facility 631 Chafee Avenue with Augusta Locally Grown, Rise Augusta and Harrisburg Health Care.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the publisher of Augusta Good News. Subscribe to the Good News newsletter here.
