Our Mission

LCS empowers diverse adult learners to be successful in their jobs, families, and community by teaching them essential English literacy skills through student-centered instruction.

Who We Are

The Literacy Council of Seattle (LCS) was established in 1969 and since then, has provided free English language instruction to adults in the Seattle area.

LCS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is listed in the State and Federal Literacy Directories, United Way of King County, and GuideStar.org.

In addition, LCS is a reputable registered charitable organization with the State of Washington Secretary of State and the Combined Fund Drive for WA state employees. Area residents volunteer with us and many employers help by matching charitable contributions.

Who We Serve

Literacy Council of Seattle serves a diverse group of adult learners each year. These include immigrants and refugees from over 50 countries and many American-born adults. About 41% are between 19 and 44 years of age, over 60% are female, and 100% are eager to learn English. Some learners who come to LCS speak two or three other languages, other students have no reading or writing skills in any language. Some students stay six months to one year until they can manage the language demands of their job, while others continue until they can enter community college or job training programs.

How It Works

Students are referred to LCS by friends, relatives, libraries, neighbors, co-workers, or state agencies and come to our office to fill out an application. Students are then directed to an individual tutor or an appropriate class.

We require all volunteer tutors and teachers to attend one of our Tutor Workshops, which are scheduled three to four times a year. Our workshops equip tutors with the skills and resources they need to effectively address the literacy goals of their students. Adult learning styles, lessons plans, library materials, and goal-oriented teaching methods are the focus of the workshop.

Once training is completed, LCS matches tutors with students based on scheduling and geography.

LCS staff and board members are all volunteers, with the exception of one part-time Program Manager. To learn more about all our volunteering opportunities, visit our Volunteer page.