Help us welcome our new Board Member, Yanira Castro!
Please join us in welcoming Yanira Castro to our Board of Directors!
With 25+ years of experience in social services, education, and nonprofit leadership, and a passion for serving families, Yanira will be a powerful voice for literacy in our community.
We’re thrilled to have you with us, Yanira!
Family Literacy Day: Learning Begins at Home
Family Literacy Day reminds us that learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms — it happens at home. When families read, talk, and learn together, children grow stronger readers and adults build confidence. Simple activities like sharing stories, reading recipes, and talking about daily life can make a lasting difference for the whole family.
Partners in Learning, Partners in Community
Manatee Literacy Council has received grant from Peace Presbyterian Church to support in-person Adult ESL classes across Manatee County. This funding helps sustain instructors, curriculum, and materials, allowing MLC to bring English instruction directly into neighborhoods where adult learners live and work.
Building Stronger Systems for Greater Impact
At the Manatee Literacy Council, we are always looking for ways to strengthen how we serve adult learners and ensure our programs are truly making a difference. That work doesn’t just happen in the classroom — it also happens behind the scenes, through thoughtful planning, reflection, and continuous improvement.
One of the most meaningful investments we made this year was participating in the Results 1st framework, a capacity-building program designed to help nonprofits better define outcomes, measure progress, and improve impact in sustainable ways.
This is a program our Executive Director, Michelle Desveaux McLean, has been hoping to bring to MLC for the past three years. She recognized early on how transformative the framework could be for strengthening our systems and ensuring our work is driven by clear results, not just good intentions. Thanks to the generosity of the Barancik Foundation, we were finally able to participate fully in Results 1st.
The Selby Foundation Supports Adult Literacy
The Manatee Literacy Council (MLC) is pleased to announce it has received a $14,704 grant from the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation to modernize its technology infrastructure and enhance digital learning for adult English and literacy students across Manatee County.
Bishop-Parker Foundation Invests in Adult Literacy
We are thrilled to share exciting news: the Manatee Literacy Council has been awarded an $80,000 grant fromBishop-Parker Foundation to support essential staffing that fuels our expanding English and literacy programs for adults in Manatee County.
Help us welcome our new Board Member, Marisol Garcia!
The Manatee Literacy Council (MLC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Marisol Garcia to its Board of Directors. Garcia brings more than a decade of nonprofit leadership experience, specializing in programming for vulnerable populations, resource development, grant administration, and evaluation across public service sectors.
We’re honored to be featured in SRQ Magazine’s “Spirit of Giving” issue!
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Manatee Literacy Council was highlighted in the December 2025 Spirit of Giving issue of SRQ Magazine — alongside so many inspiring organizations doing important work across our region. It’s an honor to be included in this circle of changemakers dedicated to strengthening our community through compassion, literacy, and service.
Marcela’s Letter – Help Support our MLC Family
Queridos estudiantes del Manatee Literacy Council:
Cada día veo su dedicación, su esfuerzo, su valentía y su deseo de construir un futuro mejor. Ustedes inspiran a nuestros tutores, a nuestro equipo y a toda la comunidad.
Hoy les escribo porque necesitamos su ayuda.
Cada vez más adultos están buscando clases de inglés, pero mantener estos programas gratuitos es hoy más difícil que nunca. Queremos ofrecer más clases, más horarios y más servicios—sin listas de espera—pero solo podremos hacerlo si nuestra comunidad nos ayuda.
Joane’s Letter – Help Support our MLC Family
Chè etidyan MLC yo,
Non mwen se Joane, e gen anpil nan nou ki konnen mwen nan biwo a oswa paske mwen ede etidyan nan klas yo. Mwen te kòmanse isit la kòm yon etidyan tou, kidonk mwen konnen sa li ye lè w ap aprann angle pou fanmi w, pou travay ou, ak pou avni ou. MLC te chanje lavi mwen, e kounye a mwen rekonesan paske mwen ka ede lòt moun sou chemen yo.
Jodi a, mwen ap ekri nou paske nou bezwen èd nou.
Gen plis granmoun pase tout tan k ap chèche antre nan klas angle yo, men finanse pwogram gratis sa yo vin pi difisil pase anvan. Nou vle kenbe klas yo gratis, nou vle ajoute plis lè ak plis nivo, epi nou vle asire ke pèsonn pa dwe tann pou aprann — men nou pa ka fè sa poukont nou.