The Literacy Center’s mission is carried out via five main programs:    

One-to-one tutoring for both English speakers and non-English speakers.  We orient and train volunteers to work with students for a minimum of one hour each week.  The student/tutor pair may meet at the Literacy Center or off-site at a public place.  This mode of instruction uses the Laubach Way to Reading curriculum, a phonics-based series that incorporates both reading and writing.  

Small group instruction for English speakers and non-English speaking students.  Small group instruction consists of  Life Literacy Classes.  The classes teach students basic living skills so they can better function in the community.  The classes are interactive and hands on instruction and use many authentic materials.  The classes are kept small so students receive individualized attention. 

Computer Aided Literacy which consists of a computer learning center.  The computers are installed with educational software programs that teach literacy skills to English speakers and non-English speakers. The learning center also allows students to practice computer and keyboarding skills.  Basic computer skills classes are offered and the computer lab is monitored approximately 12 hours per week.

Family Literacy is made up of four components-Adult Education, Parenting Education, Parent Child time together, and Early Childhood Education.  Family Literacy is a holistic way of instilling literacy skills and practices to the entire family by teaching the parents the important literacy skills they can pass on to their children.  This is a new program for us and we are currently offering classes at the Open Door Mission.  The addition of family literacy completes the circle of service for the center by offering literacy services to all ages.

 Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national pediatric intervention program that promotes emergent literacy to children and is conducted in partnership with physicians.  The physicians promote the importance of reading to parents and provides age appropriate children's books to the families to foster parents reading to their children.  Currently, the Literacy Center has 16 clinics in Nebraska it partners with to deliver the program.  We have reached over 8,000 families by distributing children’s books to health clinics through our Reach Out and Read program. 

• Please contact the Literacy Center if you are interested in organizing a book drive for the Reach Out and Read Program.
• Visit the national Reach Out Read website.