The Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL) Will Award $1,345,000 in Grants to 23 Organizations in Fiscal Year 2023 to Support Adult English Literacy Programs

Per Montgomery County:
The Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL) will distribute a total of $1,345,000 in grants in Fiscal Year 2023 to 23 organizations to support adult English literacy programs across Montgomery County. The grants will help equip the organizations in their efforts to host adult literacy classes and work with some of the more than 125,000 adults in Montgomery County who report that they speak English “less than very well.”

Funding for the grants is provided in partnership with the Montgomery County Government, with the support of County Executive Marc Elrich and the Montgomery County Council.

“We are excited to work with the grant recipients this upcoming year, in addition to all of the community members who participate in our trainings,” MCAEL Executive Director Kathy Stevens. “Through the work of the entire coalition, more and more adults in Montgomery County are gaining the English skills they need to speak English, read news or writing skills to fill out a job application.”

The 23 organizations receiving grants will provide 31 overall adult literacy programs in Fiscal Year 2023, which begins on July 1.

Recommendations for funding were made to the MCAEL Board of Directors by a 12-member volunteer Grant Review Panel comprised of community members.

The FY23 grant recipients include, in alphabetical order:

• Ana A. Brito Foundation, Inc.
• Association of Vietnamese Americans
• Briggs Center for Faith and Action
• CASA
• Catholic Charities
• Chinese Culture and Community Service Center
• Chinese American Parent Association of Montgomery County
• Community Reach of Montgomery County
• Covenant Life Church
• Ethiopian Community Center
• Family Services, Inc.
• Francophone Africans Alliance, Inc.
• George B. Thomas Learning Academy
• Hughes United Methodist Church
• Identity, Inc.
• IMPACT Silver Spring
• Kings & Priests Court International Ministries Inc.
• Literacy Council of Montgomery County
• Mill Creek Parish United Methodist Church
• Rockville Seniors, Inc.
• Seneca Creek Community Church
• Vietnamese American Services
• Washington New Covenant Fellowship Church

The goal of the MCAEL grants program is to increase the availability of adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and literacy services that support identified community needs and diverse populations. New this year, MCAEL introduced a subcategory of “Access Grants—Access Small Grants” to encourage more community- and faith-based organizations to offer adult English classes.

“This is an especially important time for our coalition as many are emerging from pandemic isolation and looking for work. More opportunities to collaborate are out there, and our entire community should be able to participate both personally and professionally,” said Ms. Stevens. “With the continued work of these 23 grant partners, even more adults in Montgomery County will now have access to opportunities that could change their lives.”

More information about the FY23 grant awards can be found in the “Grant Awards for FY23” page available on the MCAEL website at https://www.mcael.org/grant-recipients.

MCAEL is a community coalition of public, nonprofit and business partners that support nearly 60 adult ESOL and literacy service programs, more than 1,000 instructors and staff and approximately 11,000 adult learners. The Coalition works to help adults gain the English literacy skills needed to reach their potential as parents, workers and community members. By advancing a coalition of organizations dedicated to enabling all County residents to achieve their full potential,

For more information on MCAEL, visit www.mcael.org.