With persistence and expert assistance from Elaine, however, this job seeker landed a customer-service position that built on skills she used early in her working life. She readily acknowledged the support she received from the Back-to-Work program. “I appreciated Elaine walking with me and encouraging me every step of the way,” she proclaimed.

Delaware County adults interested in DCLC’s Back-to-Work Program can contact Elaine at eherbert@delcoliteracy.org or 484-461-2144, ext. 103, or they can complete this online interest form. COVID-19 precautions are observed during all Back-to-Work interactions.

On June 18, 2020, Delaware County Literacy Council (DCLC) released a public statement, Black Lives Matter to DCLC, which made clear that many of DCLC's adult students "have had their opportunities, their safety, and their health undercut by systemic racism." The statement included specific actions DCLC has committed to taking to address systemic racism and its effects.

To make sure DCLC lives up to this commitment, members of DCLC's staff formed a "Systemic Racism Learning Group." The group meets monthly to study systemic racism and to coordinate the steps DCLC is taking in response to racial inequities that affect our organization, our students, and our community.

According to Duane Belgrave, Sr., an instructor at DCLC involved in putting together the Learning Group, "This is an opportunity to be explicit, intentional, and transparent in how we want to address systemic racism and empower our students."

For example, one actionable-goal group has identified curricular resources on systemic racism that can be used by DCLC teachers and tutors. Teachers are currently incorporating some of these resources in project-based lessons on redlining, racism within federal institutions, "sundown towns," and similar topics. A training on these resources will be offered to DCLC teachers and tutors in the months ahead.

Other projects by actionable-goal groups include creating community partnerships, organizing presentations to help DCLC students navigate societal systems, and holding an essay contest to allow DCLC students to express themselves on the topic of racial justice.

With these measures, the DCLC staff is attempting to make long-term changes within the organization.

As Duane Belgrave, Sr., explains, “We are realizing that systemic racism is so deep. This is a lifelong endeavor. We work on systemic racism today because we care about creating a better future.”

By 2024, 48 percent of job openings in the U.S. will be middle-skill and 32 percent will be high-skill. This means that in a few short years, nearly 80 percent of all job openings will require more than a high school degree. Adult education programs like Delaware County Literacy Council (DCLC) provide a significant opportunity to bridge the workforce supply-and-demand gap. By educating immigrants and adults who haven't finished high school, adult education programs prepare adults to move on to the post-secondary education needed for these high-skill positions. Read more about these statistics, which are provided by the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE).