Grant Expands Adult English Classes for Manatee County Residents
When funding uncertainty threatened the future of our in-person English classes this quarter, one volunteer stepped forward to ensure more than 100 adult learners could continue building the skills they need for work, family, and community.
When One Person Steps Forward…
When funding uncertainty threatened the future of our in-person English classes this quarter, one volunteer stepped forward to ensure more than 100 adult learners could continue building the skills they need for work, family, and community.
Financial Literacy: A Key Step Toward Independence
Financial literacy is a powerful step toward independence. Through a partnership with Project Prosper, Manatee Literacy Council learners gained practical financial skills that help them support their families and plan for the future.
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.