N-ABLE

Network of Adult Basic Literacy and Education

Our Mission

N-ABLE is a network of organizations in the Mid-South with the goal of supporting adults in their pursuit of lifelong learning and literacy. N-ABLE aspires to and seeks partnerships with orgs that provide supportive educational, social-emotional, vocational, and counseling services.

About Us

The Network of Adult Basic Literacy and Education (N-ABLE) has been working since 2018. Organizations have committed to work together to establish a coherent vision of success, identify essential and common strategies, and create a coordinated adult literacy pipeline to better provide and expand resources and services. We believe that by strategically linking our organizational efforts and holding each other accountable within a robust continuous improvement process, we can strengthen our practices and ultimately impact community-wide outcomes. 

Our Goal

We want to create a sustainable adult literacy pipeline to better provide and expand resources and services to adults.

Our Priorities

Priority 1: Client Wants

Client Wants is a concept formulated to move away from assumptions about the needs of clients to finding ways of gathering and knowing clients’ actual needs.

Priority 2: Language Capacity

Language Capacity was determined to be more than basic literacy. It includes reading, writing, and oral communication skills, along with life skills, soft skills, and digital and financial literacy in order to enable a person to achieve their career, academic, or personal goals. Language Capacity affects how an individual learns, processes, and comprehends information within the cultural context.

Priority 3: Wrap Around Services

Wrap-Around Services support the process of providing the best quality literacy programs for individuals by directly addressing a need or barrier that the client is facing.

Get Involved

The Benefits

  • Access to a variety of diverse partner organization’s current services and resources as well as a dedicated contact person when a client is referred to receive outside services.

  • Robust network of cross-sector partners who serve adults in multiple capacities, from adult education, to workforce, economic, and rehabilitation.

  • Added collaboration and thought partnering that facilitates more support for clients and encourages more effective and intentional support for partners.

Contact Us

Contact Johnny Blount at jblount@literacymidsouth.org to find out more about N-ABLE.

Our Operating Principles

    1. We strive to create and sustain a culture of trust, courtesy, and respect that values diversity. 

    2. We strive to use data, including client feedback, as continuous quality improvement.

    3. We strive to always add value in all we do and pursue excellence.

    4. We strive to adapt and work to improve upon methods and processes in adult education.

    5. We strive to recognize and value the different lived experiences of all clients.

    6. We strive to implement and follow a shared process to deliver results to the network and the general public.

    7. We strive to recognize the importance of and value collaboration so we can address adult literacy challenges in our community.

    8. We strive to work as a team and are committed to improving the lives and futures of all individuals being served.

    9. We strive to focus on service to adult-learners, however, we know that in this process, we touch many other lives.

    10. We strive not to discriminate.  We are an inclusive organization that values the opinions and expertise of everyone.

    11. We strive to exceed client expectations in all that we do.

    12. We strive to exhibit leadership.  We each share knowledge, participate, and contribute in our own unique ways.

    13. We strive to communicate with clarity.  Clear communication is critical, both in the work we do with our clients and in our interactions with each other.

    14. We strive to slow down and pay attention to details.  As representatives of our clients, attention to detail is critical. 

    15. We strive to think and act positively.  Work can be demanding and stressful, however, this is all the more reason to give others our absolute best.

    16. We strive to adhere to the “Golden Rule.”

Ready to join N-ABLE?

Fill out the interest form and we'll be in touch! We're looking forward to meeting you!

Partners

Catholic Charities of West Tennessee

www.ccwtn.org

  • Following the teachings of Jesus Christ, we provide help to those in need and bring them hope by supporting them on the path from poverty to self-sufficiency.

    Catholic Charities of West Tennessee serves people regardless of religious beliefs, socio-economic status or ethnic background. Catholic Charities is not just for the Catholic community, it is from the Catholic community.

Su Casa Ministries

www.sucasamemphis.org

  • Su Casa is a place of safety and connection for both the Latino immigrant community and the broader Memphis community. We offer two main programs: adult English classes and a bilingual, academically excellent, Christian preschool program for 1-4 year olds. Both programs are ways for us to allow our families, parents, children and neighbors to connect organically with the broader community and visa versa. Our theory of change is that when whole families from across our city connect, that is when neighborhoods are lifted, communities are strengthened, and our city becomes its best.

  • The mission of Moore Tech is to provide students with the training and skills necessary to become successful in business and industry. It is the goal of the college to provide students with a working knowledge of the skills needed to enter employment in the program area of their choice.

Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC)

https://www.tn.gov/correction

  • As part of the Public Safety Act of 2016, the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) implemented Day Reporting/Community Resource Centers which serve as alternatives to incarceration by placing eligible participants in structured and intensive outpatient programs. The programs provide resources and services to offenders to assist them as they work towards becoming productive citizens in their communities.

    The DRC/CRC is a one-year three-phase program that will assist moderate to high-risk offenders with a substance use issue. In order to be eligible for the program, the participant must be under the supervision of TDOC's Community Supervision, have at least 2 years left on probation supervision, and/or have substance use concern.

    TDOC is mission driven. We want to enhance public safety by changing the way we do business. It is more cost-effective to keep non-violent offenders out of the prison system. It currently costs $79.00 per day to incarcerate an offender versus $41.00 per day for an offender to report to a Day Reporting/Community Resource Center. Our goal is to provide the participants with evidenced-based programming and treatment in an environment where they can continue to be with their families and community.”

Collierville Literacy Council

www.clctnedu.org

  • Collierville Literacy Council is a 30-year-old non-profit adult education center located just off the historic town square of Collierville, TN. We provide 1:1 tutor, group classes and academic counseling for adult students looking to get help with reading, writing and/or math, earn their High School Diploma, or improve their English skills. We offer career counseling and a 12- week Learn to Earn program that helps students improve their soft skills. Please call us at 901-854-0288 and talk to us about your goals!

  • HopeWorks, Inc., provides hope and opportunity through education, spiritual development, and respect for work. By implementing a holistic approach through daily classes and meals, educational training, and spiritual counseling, HopeWorks strives to break the cycle of crime, addiction, and generational poverty that traps so many in our city.

Literacy Mid-South

www.literacymidsouth.org

  • The mission of Literacy Mid-South is to provide literacy resources for learners of all ages and backgrounds.

 

Refugee Empowerment Program (R.E.P.)

repmemphis.org

  • Refugee Empowerment Program is an ethnic-community based organization serving refugees and immigrants in Memphis, TN through trauma-informed programs and services designed to facilitate their successful integration into American life and society.

The Institute of Intelligent Systems

www.clctnedu.org

  • The mission of the Adult Education and Adult Literacy (ALAE) Team is to research, design, and develop technology-based services for adult learners, their teachers/tutors, and the programs that support them. The ALAE Team aims to make digital learning accessible with free assessment tools, learning apps, and education/training materials,

    Visit our website to get more information on how to access:

    SARA - a free, web-based assessment for diagnosing learners’ strengths and weaknesses in reading literacy.

    AutoTutor for Adult Reading Comprehension - a free, web-based intelligent tutoring system to enhance adults reading comprehension skills and strategies.

    Tutorials, Training, Webinars, & Research Resources - for professional development or personal curiosity about our work.

    The ALAE Team is housed at the Institute for Intelligent Systems (IIS) at the University of Memphis.