Tyler Area Partners for Literacy Is Launched

TYLER — Various individuals and agencies have launched a project known as Tyler Area Partners for Literacy (TAP for Literacy). According to a news release, the effort “is a coalition of community partners advocating, promoting and supporting initiatives aimed at improving literacy for all residents of the Greater Tyler Area.”

The release continues, “Since the task is too daunting for a single organization to address, our goal is to make the greatest impact by bringing together advocates from multiple organizations to help build and support a local initiative to improve literacy levels across all ages. TAP for Literacy includes dedicated citizens representing The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler Junior College, Tyler Independent School District, Literacy Council of Tyler, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Civic and community leaders, business and industry members, local media and many others.

“TAP for Literacy seeks to assist its partners in developing and implementing literacy-based programs that have the most measurable impact on its constituents. In effect, individuals whose literacy skills are advanced have an opportunity to improve the quality of their life and the lives of those they touch.”

According to a flier from TAP for Literacy, “Since 2007, nearly two out of three 4th grade students in the U.S. have reading profiencies below the level needed to do grade level work.” That statement cites 2011 numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics. The flier also states, “3.8 million Texas adults need basic education services, yet only 133,000 (3.5 percent) are receiving those services. 2,400 of those adults are students of Literacy Council of Tyler. If just one million adults could receive services, it would be a $40 billion return on that investment.”

Here’s list of TAP For Literacy Steering Committee Members:

Co-chairs: Dr. Kouider Mokhtari, UT Tyler and Nancy Crawford, Literacy Council of Tyler. Members: Gloria Bell, TISD Head Start; Tim Crouch, UT Tyler Ingenuity Center; Jennifer Gaston, Tyler Today Magazine; Linda Gray, Tyler Public Library; Martin Heines, Mayor Pro-Tem; Larry Johnigan, Living Word Ministry of Tyler; Forrest Kaiser, TISD Caldwell Elementary Fine Arts Academy, Christi Khalaf, Business Education Council, Kim Lessner, PATH; Michael Lujan, Mentoring Minds, Dr. Rebecca Risinger, Tyler Family Circle of Care, and Larry Wickham, UT Tyler.

TAP for Literacy encourages anyone interested to get involved. For more information, you can contact Mokhtari at or kmokhtari@uttyler.edu or (903) 566-7177; or Crawford at ncrawford@lcotyler.org or (903) 780-1150.