Manatee Literacy Council Awarded Grant

July 16, 2021 – Sarasota

Therese Prather joins the Manatee Literacy Council as Program Coordinator, courtesy of the John and Dorothy Brennan Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County . Therese has worked in Adult Basic Education for over 15 years, with a focus on classroom and individual instruction.  She’s certified to teach Spanish, with endorsements in reading and English as a Second Language. “I’m thrilled to join Manatee Literacy and am passionate about empowering students through Adult Education.” says Mr. Prather.  Executive Director Michelle Desveaux McLean comments that “Therese joins us at a crucial time in our work, when one-fifth of the adults in our county cannot read, write, or do basic math over a third-grade level. We are so grateful to the Community Foundation for their support and excited for Therese to share her experience in adult learning with our organization.”

The grant is one of the Community Foundation’s Equity and Access Grants.   Manatee Literacy Council is also actively developing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy to ensure best practices for the entire organization.  Board President, Mayu Fielding and McLean recently participated in USF’s MUMA College of Business DEI Certificate program and are actively seeking ways to ensure equitable treatment of our learners, volunteers, and staff.   “Equity is at the heart of our mission in empowering Manatee adults through literacy.  We will continue to work to include D.E.I. in every aspect of our programs for the community.” says McLean.

Manatee Literacy Council is a volunteer-based nonprofit community organization dedicated to increasing the level of the functional literacy of adults in Manatee County through teaching the skills of reading, writing, understanding, and speaking English. Manatee Literacy Council has served the community since 1978. They are accepting volunteer applications and provide training for all tutors. To learn more about their programs, please visit www.manatee-literacy.org or call (941) 746-8197.