Many children growing up in the coalfields of southern West Virginia today are dealing with poverty, overcrowded classrooms, and substandard living conditions. To be ready to take advantage of the information age, our children need extra help, especially in reading and writing. APPALREAD is the result of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College partnering with local service providers, community leaders, and educators to address the needs of the communities we serve.

Children served by APPALREAD face many barriers that can prevent them from achieving academic success: generational poverty, isolation, and a scarcity of community-based educational services. Individuals with low educational skills generally live in poverty. Because of this, any prevention or intervention-based program targeting the literacy skills of children must address the needs of the family also. APPALREAD provides a community-based service: literacy education to "at risk" families with children, age 0-8, in some of the most isolated, rural communities of southern West Virginia.

There is nothing comparable to APPALREAD in West Virginia. First, we are a grassroots initiative that engages local residents in providing literacy education to children and families. Second, the program is inclusive. We do not determine which children or families are served based on their annual income. Instead, we focus on those children and families who need help learning to read. Third, and most importantly, we are a holistic program. APPALREAD serves the child, the family, and the community.