About Us...

The Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Community was organized in 1991 and has remained an active presence in both school systems and the business community since its formation.  In 2001, it was successful in accomplishing the arduous process of certifying Gordon County as a literate community. Today, the Council supports adult learners at Georgia Northwestern Technical College as well as young learners throughout both school systems. It works to create and maintain positive attitudes about education, literacy and the value of a high school credential.
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​The Council is managed by a board of directors including Andy Baxter, Andy Baxter Photography; Melissa Blevins, Georgia Northwestern Technical College; Nyala Edwards, Calhoun-Gordon Library; Michael Edwards, Calhoun-Gordon Library; Allison Eubanks, Calhoun City Schools; Jaime Garrett, Calhoun City Schools; Melissa Hawkins,  Calhoun City Schools; Beth Herod, Gordon County Schools; Elizabeth Howard, Calhoun-Gordon Library; Mayla Jackson, Care at Home
Alice   Mashburn, Gordon County Schools; Ashley Melton, Calhoun-Gordon Library; Cynthia Nelson, Georgia Northwestern Technical College; Reagan Redd, Mohawk Industries; Kimberly Reynolds, Hamilton Healthcare Services; Melissa (Lisa) Shaw, Georgia Northwestern Technical College; Julie Stephens, retired educator; Amanda Swift, Calhoun City Schools; Dr. Michele Taylor, Calhoun City Schools; Anne  Vaughn, retired educator;  and Dee Wrisley, Calhoun City Schools. 

Mashburn serves as Board President, while Stephens serves as Secretary, Wrisley serves as Chief Financial Officer, Nelson serves as Treasurer and Vaughn, the only Charter member, serves as Executive Advisor. Joni Harbin is the agency’s Executive Director.  Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Community is a United Way agency.
 
The Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Community is an active entity in our community. The council is comprised of community leaders, local educators, and representatives from the surrounding business community.  We have an executive board comprised of a Director, President, Secretary, Treasurer and CFO. As a member of the Certified Literacy Community Project (CLCP), our main purpose is to increase literacy and promote literacy awareness in Calhoun and Gordon County. Our local council meets quarterly to plan and implement projects and fundraisers to achieve these goals.
We focus on adult education, family literacy, literacy awareness, and high school graduation rates.  Please visit these pages to learn more about  our work in these areas.
FACTS about literacy in Georgia: 
  • 75% of unemployed adults have reading or writing difficulties
  • 75% of all food stamp recipients perform in the two lowest levels of literacy
  • 24% of patients with low literacy skills do not know how to take medication 4 times per day
  • 50% of adults without a high school diploma are learning disabled
  • 85% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems
  • 7 in 10 prisoners perform in the two lowest levels of literacy
  • Low literacy costs Georgia $2.1 billion annually
  • Removing language barriers can reduce time per task by 30%
  • Children’s literacy levels are linked to the educational level of their parents, especially the mother
  • Children who have not developed basic literacy practices when they enter school are 3 to 4 times more likely to drop out
  • More than 60% of front line workers in goods producing industries have difficulty applying information from a text to a required task
  • The US military spends $70 million annually for basic skills remediation for new recruits
  • In the 21st century, 60% of all jobs will require skills that only 20% of the current workforce has
  • Over 1 million Georgia residents 18 and older do not have a high school diploma