2016-598-E Finance - Orange County Literacy Council - Outside Agency Performance Agreement

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DocuSign Envelope ID:990F6965-575D-4E0D-A54F-9DAD6D65198E t A - continued Provider's Op(isjunlication Program/Project Description,(Label your responses as outlined below; not to exceed 3 pages.) Please provide the following information about the proposed program/project: b) Program Services/Priorities Orange Literacy will continue to provide high quality, free one-on-one and small group instruction in reading, writing, basic math, digital literacy, English and GED and citizenship prep to adults living or working in Orange County. By helping individuals to build the literacy and language skills they need to participate more fully in the local workforce, the educational system and the community as a whole, we are helping to create a welcoming and friendly community that provides all people with access to opportunities and supports and improves economic vitality. c) Local Need Orange Literacy addresses the problem of adult illiteracy in Orange County. Strong literacy skills are fundamental to getting and keeping a well-paying job, which in turn affects the ability to find adequate housing, secure healthcare and develop the resources necessary to care for a family. Although studies vary on the exact number of adults with significant literacy needs in Orange County, most estimate the need to be between 12% and 15% of the adult population. Conservative estimates place the percent of adults (25 years old and older) without a high. school diploma or GED at 6.8% and those who never progressed past the 9th grade at 4%. Further, for young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, 6.5% have not earned a high school diploma or GED and are not enrolled in school (American FactFinder, 2005-2009 U.S. Department of the Census). These numbers do not take into account the growing number of county residents needing ESOL instruction. English is not the primary language in approximately 12% of Orange County households; 4.9% of residents report that they do not speak English "very well." In North Carolina, 84% of Latinos report speaking a language other than English at home (Pew Hispanic Center). Studies find that almost half of adults classified as Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have nine years or less of education, and 64% do not have a high school degree (The Language of Opportunity, 2003). In Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, only 66.2% of Latino youth graduated from high school in 4 years in 2010, as compared to 92.5% of white students (2011 Orange County Health Assessment). Similarly, most Karen/Burmese refugees have had little to no access to formal education and are often unable to read or write in their native language. Many immigrants live in isolation and lack access to community resources due to low education levels and unfamiliarity with U.S. education, health, government, housing, and economic systems. In addition, racial and ethnic diversity differs across the county. Hillsborough has the largest percentage (37.1%) of non-white residents, with 29.5% Black residents and 6.6% Hispanic/Latino residents. Orange County's Hispanic/Latino population almost doubled between 2000 and 2010 -- from 4.5% to 8.2% respectively. The highest concentration is in Carrboro, where Hispanics/Latinos comprise 13.8% of the population. And while Orange County's Hispanic/Latino population mirrored that of the state (8.2%), the county's Asian population was almost three times higher: 6.7% for the county compared to 2.2% for the state. The highest concentration of Asians was in Chapel Hill, totaling 11.9% of the population in 2010, up from only 4.1% in 2000 (2011 Orange County Health Assessment). According to data from the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), 15% of Orange County adult residents have Level 1 literacy skills (functionally illiterate) and 18% have Level 2 literacy skills (significant literacy needs). The majority of Orange Literacy students are in this group: adults who are not yet ready for GED or even ABE classes, who cannot communicate in English and/or who face multiple barriers to educational enhancement. Most of our students have low educational achievement levels. Many of our students had limited opportunities to attend school, or fell behind in the traditional public school system and never caught up, becoming public Main Application 1/26/2016 5:06:15 PM Page 6 of 2 1