About Literacy Lubbock
Changing Lives Through Literacy
In 1989, two awesome ladies decided to start Literacy Lubbock. Their goal? To teach anyone who wanted to learn how to read.
We’ve taken their mission and expanded it, offering more assistance than ever before. We now offer classes, tutors, tools, and resources in three main programs: Adult Basic Education, GED Test Prep, and English as a Second Language. And to encourage the little ones to spark that love of reading early on, we have our Family and Childhood Literacy program, where we give away free books and instruct parents on the value of reading to their children. We also host the Lubbock Book Festival, a celebration of reading and writing featuring dozens of local, published, and bestselling authors in a wide variety of genres.
Education and literacy are the surest, tried-and-truest gateways to success, independence, and stability for families on the South Plains. They allow adults to reach their full potential, become self-reliant, and pave the way for their children to build on their successes.
So really, the goal of those two amazing ladies back in 1989 was to save lives and give second chances. And we're determined to carry that torch for generations to come, until everyone on the South Plains can read, write, and reach their educational dreams.
Thanks to you!
4,337
Students helped in the past 10 years!
Thanks to you!
50,762
Children’s books distributed in the past 10 years!
Our Team
Julie Laughlin
Executive DirectorMelinda Gonzales
Program & Volunteer Coordinator
Donate Today!
$50
A $50 donation will help us purchase:
3 Calculators
2 ESL Textbooks
15 Children’s Books
1 Month of WiFi for our Classes
5 Volunteer Background Checks
$25
A $25 donation will help us purchase:
4 GED Practice Tests
3 Packs of Dry Erase Markers
18 Spiral Notebooks
$100
A $100 donation will help us purchase:
10 Citizenship Flashcard Sets
30 Children’s Books
1 Database Software License
Who do we serve?
In 2025, students from 19 different counties across Texas and New Mexico attended our classes.
In 2025, more than 82% of our students struggled to make ends meet. (The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the 2024 median household in Lubbock county was $64,155.)
The State of Literacy In and Around Lubbock
The National Center for Education Statistics performed the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), also known as the Survey of Adult Skills, to study the cognitive and workplace skills of adults. Data was collected from adults ages 16-74 in the United States and grouped by states and counties. The survey was designed to assess and compare adults’ skills in a broad range of abilities, including literacy and numeracy.
The estimates reported group individuals into one of three groups: Low Proficiency (Level 1), Medium Proficiency (Level 2), or High Proficiency (Level 3). Below are their results for Lubbock and the surrounding areas:
-
Literacy
26% Low Proficiency
32% Medium Proficiency
43% High Proficiency
Numeracy
36% Low Proficiency
31% Medium Proficiency
33% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
39% Low Proficiency
36% Medium Proficiency
26% High Proficiency
Numeracy
50% Low Proficiency
32% Medium Proficiency
18% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
39% Low Proficiency
37% Medium Proficiency
24% High Proficiency
Numeracy
51% Low Proficiency
33% Medium Proficiency
16% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
38% Low Proficiency
32% Medium Proficiency
30% High Proficiency
Numeracy
48% Low Proficiency
29% Medium Proficiency
23% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
33% Low Proficiency
34% Medium Proficiency
33% High Proficiency
Numeracy
43% Low Proficiency
32% Medium Proficiency
25% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
38% Low Proficiency
39% Medium Proficiency
23% High Proficiency
Numeracy
51% Low Proficiency
36% Medium Proficiency
14% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
41% Low Proficiency
37% Medium Proficiency
23% High Proficiency
Numeracy
52% Low Proficiency
32% Medium Proficiency
16% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
34% Low Proficiency
37% Medium Proficiency
30% High Proficiency
Numeracy
45% Low Proficiency
35% Medium Proficiency
21% High Proficiency
-
Literacy
50% Low Proficiency
33% Medium Proficiency
17% High Proficiency
Numeracy
60% Low Proficiency
23% Medium Proficiency
17% High Proficiency
Our Impact Over the Years