This year, the Junior League of Washington (JLW), one of DC’s leading women’s service and leadership organizations, is celebrating its 20th anniversary of focusing our volunteer and financial resources on combating illiteracy in Washington, DC. 

Literacy is critical to the wellbeing of our community and the hundreds of thousands of people who call DC home. But the Washington Literacy Center estimates that more than 13 percent of DC adults are functionally illiterate—meaning they are not able to read a newspaper or fill out a job application. These skills affect the whole family: research shows the single greatest indicator of a child’s future success is the literacy level of his or her parents, according to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.  

Our free adult literacy event will feature motivational TED-style talks, group workshops, and exhibitions—all focused on building the types of literacy that help DC women get ahead, including workplace, financial, nutritional, and digital literacy, resume writing and interview skills, and beyond. While the event is targeted to women, all are welcome. 

Learn more about our events and our history working to improve literacy in the DC area at jlw.org/readers2leaders.