In early 2021, Literacy Network started reviewing our mission statement to better reflect the collaborative work we do with adult learners. Working with our partners at local nonprofit Step Up: Equity Matters, we learned that an inclusive mission statement must be short, easy to read, and clearly communicate what we do. Our goal was to ensure that our mission statement is learner-focused, with learners’ voices, their agency, and their dreams at the heart of it. We wanted to focus on the strengths that learners bring to their studies and how we work together to support the goals of individuals and families.
With these objectives in mind, our team asked adult learners what they value most about their experience with Literacy Network. The learners told us they connected most with the words “goals,” “skills,” and “community.” Using this feedback, we crafted four mission statement revisions and invited our community to share their opinions about the mission. The greatest number of respondents to our survey were adult learners.
A total of 263 community members shared their opinions about the mission statement. The Literacy Network board of directors approved the selected mission and subsequent change to our bylaws in December 2021. After months of work with learners, volunteers, staff and board, we are proud to announce our new mission statement:
Literacy Network helps adults in Dane County build skills, reach goals, and connect communities.
Our work in 2022 and beyond will continue to focus on the goals of adult learners, as it has for more than 45 years. We are excited to move forward with a more representative, inclusive mission statement created with the engagement of adult learners.