LITERACY IS NOT A LUXURY, IT IS A RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY.

William J. Clinton

Ozarks Literacy Council offers free programs:

Book distributions

Ozarks Literacy Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization promoting literacy by providing free resources and services to adults and children in Southwest Missouri since 1968.

did you know?

A person’s literacy level is correlated with several important outcomes such as personal income, employment levels, health, and overall economic growth.

75% of state incarcerated individuals did not complete high school and/or can be classified as low literate. Incarcerated individuals who participate in education programs are 43% less likely to recidivate than inmates who do not.

School Drop Outs

The reading skill of a child’s main caregiver – usually their mother – is the greatest determinant of that child’s future academic success, more significant than other factors like neighborhood or family income. (National Institutes of Health)

Low Test Scores

Test score data from 2022 shows that of the 35 SPS Elementary schools 26 have 50% or more of students in Missouri’s public and charter schools are six months behind in English/Language Arts. – The Missouri Department of Elementary And Secondary Education

get involved

Make a donation

Your generosity helps us provide FREE tutoring for school-age children and adults who struggle with reading skills.

Join our Efforts

Volunteer as a tutor, classroom or preschool reader.
Volunteer at our events.

OUR IMPACT

For more than a year, I have been a volunteer through the Ozarks Literacy Committee. This opportunity has been and is an incredible addition in my life! The Ozark Literacy Council Volunteer services encourage learners to improve reading fluency, how to decode and understand difficult words, increase reading fluency and comprehension. I am so gratified to be a part of this process in a learner's life in watching them grow in self-confidence and abilities to read and understand what they are reading! The Ozarks Council continues to teach volunteers how to mentor struggling readers with the materials provided. I encourage anyone interested in inspiring and encouraging readers through the Ozarks Literacy Committee.

Amazing Tutor

The adult I work with is a model learner and says she has started to notice she is able to express herself much more completely and concisely when she speaks. Her self confidence is growing in leaps and bounds! She has completed the first half of her workbook and can't wait to finish it so she can move on to the next one. I am very proud of her and the progress she has made.

Amazing Student

My son has improved his I-Ready score from the 47th percentile to the 72nd percentile and has improved his reading grade from a D to an A. He's made great progress showing confidence with reading and tackling difficult words that he would have struggled with previously. He is breezing through level R books with ease (we started on L a year ago). He has taken a genuine interest in reading and begins every session with his tutor by telling him what he has read the previous week and what he's looking forward to reading.

Amazing Parent of Student