City of Boston Celebrates Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Workforce Development today proclaimedSeptember 14-20Adult Education and Family Literacy Weekin Boston, underscoring the vital role of foundational education for adults and literacy within families. The proclamation highlights the City's efforts to help residents achieve their personal and professional goals, while advancing Mayor Wu's priorities of closing the racial wealth gap, supporting immigrant communities, and fostering civic engagement.

"Literacy is the foundation for learning across every generation," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "We will continue to ensure that our young people, adult learners, and families have access to every resource to build on their education and achieve their goals."

To celebrate the week, City of Boston and State Officials Deputy Chief of Worker Empowerment Cabinet Rashad O. Cope, BPS Region 8 School Superintendent William Thomas, BPS Director of Educational Options: Alternative Education Carlos E. Diaz, and Associate Commissioner of Adult and Community Learning Services in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Wyvonne Stevens-Carter, visited the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Adult Educationin Roxbury, which provides various no-cost, flexible programs to ensure that Boston residents can access quality instruction, job training, and college and career advising. Participants can access critical education and training to set them up for good jobs and success in the workforce, including Adult Basic Education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, High School Equivalency, and more. BPS Adult Education also offers an evening program that allows students to complete high school requirements while maintaining full-time jobs.

"At BPS, we are committed to ensuring that students of all ages have access to high-quality educational opportunities, including our adult learners,"said Superintendent Mary Skipper."Our adult education and family literacy programs meet individuals where they are by offering the flexibility needed to complete their studies. When adults gain new skills through these programs, it has a positive impact by helping families better support their children's learning, expanding workforce participation, and fostering civic engagement."

Since 1983, the City of Boston's Office of Workforce Development (OWD)has led the Adult Literacy Initiative (ALI), a citywide consortium that provides adult education and family literacy services across Boston's neighborhoods. ALI's members include community-based nonprofits, faith-based organizations, immigrant and refugee service providers, the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the Boston Housing Authority, the Boston Public Library, Bunker Hill Community College, and Boston Public Schools. Together, they offer classes that help adults strengthen literacy and math skills, build English proficiency, earn a high school equivalency credential, and prepare for postsecondary education and training while helping to break cycles of low literacy, limited education, and poverty.

"Adult education and literacy are the foundation for economic opportunity," said Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh Nguyen. "When Boston residents gain essential skills, whether in English, math, or digital literacy, they're not just advancing their education; they're gaining the skills employers need, accessing good jobs, and strengthening our workforce. Investing in adult learners today builds a stronger, more equitable economy for everyone."

In Boston, more than 53,000 residents age 25 and older have not earned a high school diploma, and over 105,000 residents speak English less than "very well," creating significant barriers to education, employment, and full participation in civic life. While ALI members receive federal, state, and local grants, they serve only about 3,500 adults across 32 programs. Waiting lists exist in nearly every program, and future funding remains uncertain. The primary funder of adult education in Boston is the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Adult and Community Learning Services unit, which is investing $12.8 million in Boston adult education programs this year. However, the FY26 federal budget proposal threatens to cut all funding for adult education, jeopardizing programs that support adult learners.

These funds are essential for helping adults acquire the skills needed to obtain employment, fully participate in their children's education, improve economic opportunities for their families, and transition successfully to postsecondary education and training. BPS Adult Ed and other ALI programs go above and beyond by creating supportive communities for adult learners and their children, fostering both personal growth and family success.

"When adults learn, families rise and communities thrive," said Wyvonne Stevens-Carter, Associate Commissioner of Adult and Community Learning Services, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "Across Boston and the Commonwealth, adult education is more than a pathway to a diploma or job-it is a gateway to dignity, equity, and belonging. By investing in literacy and learning, we strengthen families, open doors to economic mobility, and build communities where every resident has the opportunity to thrive. Boston's commitment to this work reflects a shared vision for Massachusetts: education as a bridge to possibility for thousands of learners and their families."

Boston's Adult Literacy Initiative (ALI) exemplifies the City's commitment to ensuring every resident has access to education and the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information on ALI or to find an adult education program, visit boston.gov/adult-literacy​​​​​​.

• Last updated: September 19, 2025