Educational inequity is one of the greatest solvable problems of our time.

Even in the midst of this pandemic, the learners of Community Learning Center find success and inspiration thanks to our cost-free adult learning classes made possible through your support.

Join CLC in making an impact this holiday season...

Impact like the increase of $10,000 per year that CLC graduates earn once they get their GED.
Impact like the $2.5 billion gained in tax revenue for every 400,000 adult education graduates.
Impact like the pride of accomplishing a lifelong goal.

Low literacy isn’t just about dollars and cents. It is about quality of life and opportunity.

From understanding a job application to reading to your children so they can have a strong start in school, literacy is essential.

Barriers to education prevent over 800,000 Philadelphians from fully participating in our society and our economy as parents, workers, and citizens.

Insufficient skills lie at the core of multigenerational cycles of poverty, poor health, and low academic attainment, contributing to our city's enormous equity gap.

Please consider a year-end gift to help us change lives through literacy. Whether you donate online, or send a check through the enclosed envelope, every dollar shared has meaningful and lasting impact on our learners' futures.

Together, we can bridge the gap and continue to provide hope for our learners and their families now and throughout the new year.

Student Spotlight: Sophia Warren, Current CLC Learner

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Sophia Warren is the epitome of resilience. At age eight, she was severely injured in a car collision which put her in a coma. When she woke, Sophia had to relearn how to walk forcing her to miss school and spend extensive time in the hospital. When she returned home, education was overshadowed by other needs, and Sophia seldom received regular schooling.

As a young adult, Sophia suffered a gunshot to her skull and was struck by a car. The resulting four surgeries caused her physical pain for years afterward. Overwhelmed with frustration and carrying the immense weight of her injuries, Sophia was diagnosed with PTSD and depression. “I was walking around just dealing with it,” she said. “I was trying to handle it all on my own.”

Determined to not let misfortune define her life, Sophia sought treatment and set new goals for her future, including earning her GED. “I would dream about school, but I never had the opportunity because I was always in a hospital somewhere,” Sophia said. “Then I needed to work, but I never had that piece of paper. It hung over my head.”

After contacting other literacy programs, Sophia felt unsupported by their impersonal process. Then a friend recommended Community Learning Center. “When I first got there, I was so scared, but it was a whole 360. Now I’m in a place where they help you, and they're real. They don’t want anything but to help you.”

Sophia considers her CLC classmates and teachers "family" and has discovered a new love for education - especially math. “It's exciting for me. Now I love math. It’s fun and interesting. I used to hate it!” She credits her first CLC math teacher Marcus for pushing her past her fear of math, and her current teacher Lindsay for fostering her newfound love for the subject.

Sophia passed two of her GED tests before the pandemic struck. Since then, she has attended remote classes while preparing for her next exam. “I’m not letting Coronavirus stop me. I didn’t know how important education was until I figured it out for myself. CLC helped me learn that education is the key,” Sophia said. “It changed my life. I was scared to death of school until I got to CLC.”

Sophia is considering all career options as she works to complete her GED. Becoming a paramedic, welder, or CDL driver are interests she's discovered from working with Ivry, her CLC Career Coach. One thing Sophia knows for sure is that earning her GED will be a new beginning. “I don’t want to stop. I know I’m 50 years old, but my life just started”.

Help Change Lives Through Literacy!

By Beyond Literacy

Help Change Lives Through Literacy!

Join Community Learning Center in Empowering and Elevating Philadelphia's Community of Adult Learners