Non- Profit Spotlight

RIO GRANDE VALLEY LITERACY CENTER

In March, the Rio Grande Valley Literacy Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, faced the prospect of a complete shutdown. Hidalgo County’s Covid-19 confinement orders threatened to shut down our 17 low-cost adult education class sites in the Rio Grande Valley from La Joya to Mercedes. However, our instructors rose to the challenge! They went fully online. ESL, GED, Spanish as a Second Language (SSL), Computer Literacy, and Citizenship classes became Zoom classes. Instructors became tech experts. Our students found new ways to keep in touch (Hello, WhatsApp, Jitsi). Never underestimate the human spirit! “Students are encouraged to attend class face to face or online at this time, follow social distancing, and wear a mask as needed to stay safe. Students are mature and are dedicated and want to succeed,” says Diana G. Farias, Executive Director.

We serve nearly 500 low-to-moderate income adults every year. They receive an education at a fraction of the cost of a traditional educational program.

We have so many to thank. We owe a debt of gratitude to our interns from Texas A&M, who assisted us with everything from phone calls to promotional visits. Thank you to Cambridge Press for providing several free months of online ESL services. A big thanks to Workforce Solutions, who we have worked with for over four years. So grateful for the ongoing help from ProLiteracy, Literacy ConneXus, and Literacy Texas. We couldn’t do it all without support from our local municipalities, including the City of McAllen, the City of Pharr, and our county precincts, Precincts 2 and 3.

We continue to develop our newest partnership with Vanguard Academy, one of the most exciting partnerships in the RGV! We are interested in expanding our Burlington English workforce ESL training program. Come on down and apply!

We will work towards our goal to afford every student a chance to get into STC, UTRGV, or a technical college. We practice our motto daily: “RGVLC provides economic opportunities by empowering our communities through adult education and literacy.”

The ESL and GED preparation classes increase the ability for low-income adults to secure jobs, and education will open a world of higher-paying careers for them. The RGVLC students will help instill in their children a lifelong love of learning that can be passed down from generation to generation.

Go to our website www.rgvliteracenter.org or email director@ rgvliteracycenter.org for more information call 956-961-4299

Rio Grande Valley Literacy Center 1005 West Gore Pharr, Texas 78577