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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APPALACHIAN LEARNING INITIATIVE LAUNCHES ADULT EDUCATION PROVIDER SURVEY
MORGANTOWN, W. Va., January 28, 2023—The Appalachian Learning Initiative (APPLI, pronounced like "apply") has launched a survey of adult education providers in the Appalachian Region.
This brief survey is designed to gather information about organizations and institutions that provide services across the 13 states, 423 counties, and 8-independent Virginia city Appalachian Region to improve literacy and numeracy in adults and families. The results will be used to create an Appalachia-specific directory of adult education providers that will be included on APPLI's website.
"One of the most challenging aspects of building any directory is finding information that is both up-to-date and relevant," said Marcus J. Hopkins, Founder & Executive Director of APPLI. "While National Literacy Directory is an excellent resource that includes thousands of adult education providers, users of the directory are slightly limited by the directory's search parameters."
The National Literacy Directory is a federal-, state-, and public-funded directory that helps potential students and volunteers locate nearby educational programs and services. Users can search the directory to find educational programs within a 25-mile radius based on zip codes or city and state inputs.
APPLI currently provides data and statistics related to adult educational outcomes, public health, poverty, and other measures of life in the Appalachian region. Its Infographics Database contains over 880 state- and county-level infographics presenting these data for easy use in advocacy efforts. APPLI plans to expand the amount of information available by including state- and county-level adult education provider data.
APPLI's directory will differ from the National Literacy Directory by providing a dynamic list of adult education providers, the services they provide, and which counties they serve. These data will allow potential and current adult learners to find educational services to improve their literacy and numeracy skills, as well as provide advocates with a resource that allows them to discover the number of providers and types of services available in specific counties and discover where gaps in services exist.
The Appalachian Adult Education Providers Survey launches today and will remain open.
The Appalachian Learning Initiative is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in November 2021 that focuses on researching, reporting on, advocating for, and building solutions to address issues related to adult literacy, numeracy, public health, and equitable access to education, health, and social services in the 13-state, 423-county Appalachian Region. APPLI is based in Morgantown, WV, and can be reached at info@appli.org for more information.
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