Free Adult Literacy/GED Classes now being offered

Adults who have never received a High School Diploma or passed the GED test now have a free program in this area that can help them achieve that goal.

As a part of its continuing community outreach activities, Lake Palestine United Methodist Church has partnered with the Literacy Council of Tyler to begin offering one-on-one tutoring and group classes designed to prepare learners to pass the GED test. Classes will be at the Church's location on Hwy 315 approximately 7 miles south of Chandler on Lake Palestine.

Literacy Program Coordinator Joyce Martin states that when church members looked at ways to develop programs to meet the various needs in our community one statistic surprised many of them - 50% of East Texans read below an 8th grade level and half of those people read below a 5th grade level.

Mrs. Martin says that there are many reasons that this happens. In some cases a person does not finish school because they dropped out to work and help their family, or raise children, or found school too difficult because they had learning difficulties that could not be overcome in a traditional school environment.

Not having good literacy skills can impact a person's ability to get a good job, balance a checkbook, read to their children, manage their health or even read a map.

The program is designed to help adults overcome many of the barriers they have faced in the past and the process begins by contacting Mrs. Martin at (903) 849-6918. Class times and individual mentor sessions will vary depending on the needs of the learners.