Mission & History
Our Mission
Crawford County Volunteers for Literacy exists to strengthen the lives of adults and families through free, accessible, and individualized literacy instruction. We believe literacy is a pathway to opportunity. When adults build strong reading, writing, math, and digital skills, they gain confidence, independence, and the ability to support their families in new ways.
Our mission is to meet learners exactly where they are and help them move forward with steady, meaningful progress. Many of our students come to us reading below a fifth-grade level. Some want to enter the workforce. Others want to earn a GED, support their children in school, or simply read with confidence. No matter the goal, we create a welcoming and supportive environment where learning happens step by step.
As our community continues to grow, so does our commitment to serving adults in every stage of their learning journey. This includes expanding adult education, GED preparation, ESL support, digital literacy training, workforce skill development, and creating opportunities for parents and children to learn together through family literacy. When we strengthen adult literacy, we strengthen families, workplaces, and the entire community.
Our Vision for the Future
We are actively working to expand CCVL into a center for adult and family literacy in Crawford County.
This includes:
• Building individualized learning plans for every student
• Growing our volunteer tutor network
• Increasing tutoring opportunities across the county
• Strengthening partnerships with schools, libraries, employers, and local organizations
• Developing a Family Literacy Lab where parents and children learn side by side
• Offering digital literacy skills that support daily life, employment, and education
• Ensuring every learner has the tools, materials, and encouragement they need to succeed
We believe literacy changes generations. When adults learn, children thrive. Families grow stronger. Communities become more resilient.
Our History
CCVL’s work began in 1987 when members of the Fannie Miller Circle at Alma United Methodist Church recognized a deep need for adult literacy support in Crawford County. Led by community members like Faye Brannon, the group launched a volunteer-driven effort using the Laubach Method of instruction. Twenty-two volunteers completed the first tutor training, establishing a foundation of service that still guides us today.
As the program grew, CCVL moved its office to Van Buren in the mid-1990s and partnered with local organizations, including Altrusa of Fort Smith and Crawford County, churches, libraries, and AmeriCorps service projects. Generations of tutors, directors, and volunteers helped shape the organization into the countywide literacy council it is today.
Over the years, CCVL has expanded its services to include reading, writing, math, ESL, digital literacy, and GED preparation. The council has always remained committed to one promise: every student receives free instruction, materials, and support.
Today, we continue this work with that same commitment and the same belief that guided our earliest volunteers: literacy opens doors. Our responsibility is to make sure those doors stay open for every learner who walks through them.
Our Mission
Crawford County Volunteers for Literacy exists to strengthen the lives of adults and families through free, accessible, and individualized literacy instruction. We believe literacy is a pathway to opportunity. When adults build strong reading, writing, math, and digital skills, they gain confidence, independence, and the ability to support their families in new ways.
Our mission is to meet learners exactly where they are and help them move forward with steady, meaningful progress. Many of our students come to us reading below a fifth-grade level. Some want to enter the workforce. Others want to earn a GED, support their children in school, or simply read with confidence. No matter the goal, we create a welcoming and supportive environment where learning happens step by step.
As our community continues to grow, so does our commitment to serving adults in every stage of their learning journey. This includes expanding adult education, GED preparation, ESL support, digital literacy training, workforce skill development, and creating opportunities for parents and children to learn together through family literacy. When we strengthen adult literacy, we strengthen families, workplaces, and the entire community.
Our Vision for the Future
We are actively working to expand CCVL into a center for adult and family literacy in Crawford County.
This includes:
• Building individualized learning plans for every student
• Growing our volunteer tutor network
• Increasing tutoring opportunities across the county
• Strengthening partnerships with schools, libraries, employers, and local organizations
• Developing a Family Literacy Lab where parents and children learn side by side
• Offering digital literacy skills that support daily life, employment, and education
• Ensuring every learner has the tools, materials, and encouragement they need to succeed
We believe literacy changes generations. When adults learn, children thrive. Families grow stronger. Communities become more resilient.
Our History
CCVL’s work began in 1987 when members of the Fannie Miller Circle at Alma United Methodist Church recognized a deep need for adult literacy support in Crawford County. Led by community members like Faye Brannon, the group launched a volunteer-driven effort using the Laubach Method of instruction. Twenty-two volunteers completed the first tutor training, establishing a foundation of service that still guides us today.
As the program grew, CCVL moved its office to Van Buren in the mid-1990s and partnered with local organizations, including Altrusa of Fort Smith and Crawford County, churches, libraries, and AmeriCorps service projects. Generations of tutors, directors, and volunteers helped shape the organization into the countywide literacy council it is today.
Over the years, CCVL has expanded its services to include reading, writing, math, ESL, digital literacy, and GED preparation. The council has always remained committed to one promise: every student receives free instruction, materials, and support.
Today, we continue this work with that same commitment and the same belief that guided our earliest volunteers: literacy opens doors. Our responsibility is to make sure those doors stay open for every learner who walks through them.