CAMBA's Adult Literacy Center started in 1985. Class instruction for residents of Flatbush and East Flatbush Brooklyn includes developing listening, speaking, reading, writing and math skills, along with computer-assisted technology training. Classes also include civics and U.S. history. The Adult Literacy Center not only serves individuals who need English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Adult Basic Education (ABE), but those who speak English and need to improve their skills, including math. Each year, about 2,000 U.S. born citizens and immigrants from the Caribbean, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa are enrolled in these classes. Website: www.literacycamba.org. The Adult Basic Education Program educates low-income individuals who either live or work in Brooklyn, including many out-of-school youth ages 16 to 24. Classes are held morning, afternoon and evening.
CAMBA’s Young Adult Literacy Program started in 2008 and is housed at CAMBA's Adult Literacy Center. The Young Adult Literacy program targets young adults, ages 16 through 24, who are out of school, unemployed and reading at a fourth or fifth grade level. Many participants are parents who have to juggle childcare and other family issues and also may need help with income support or housing. These young people are often referred to as Disconnected Youth. To meet young people where they are, the program uses an assessment of each participant’s strengths, working with them to develop self-inventories of their talents and skills. Activities are student-centered and lessons are contextualized to address issues such as employment, health and parenting. By dealing with each participant as a whole person, the number of students who move on to obtain their GED is maximized. Many of CAMBA’s youth programs support adolescent literacy.
Visit the Adult Literacy website at literacycamba.org.