Literacy is more than the ability to read a sentence or sign your name. In 2025, literacy means navigating a world saturated with information, digital tools, and constant change. It is the foundation for lifelong learning from reading to a child at bedtime to filling out a job application, from understanding a medical form to spotting misinformation online.

And yet, the crisis is close to home. In Philadelphia, more than 200,000 adults lack the literacy, numeracy, or English language skills needed to fully participate in our economy and civic life. Across Pennsylvania, 40 percent of adults living in poverty also lack a high school credential. Nationally, 22 percent of adults face similar barriers. These numbers aren’t abstractions — they represent neighbors who want to earn better wages, parents who want to help their children with homework, and workers eager to keep up with changing technology.

At Beyond Literacy (BeLit), Philadelphia’s largest adult education nonprofit, we see this reality every day. More than 2,000 adults turn to us each year to learn English, prepare for the GED, and build digital skills. Hundreds more sit on waiting lists, hoping for a chance to enroll. Our students are among the most determined people you will ever meet — carving out hours each week for class while juggling jobs, children, and caregiving responsibilities.

Research shows that when an adult improves their literacy skills by even one level, they are 50 percent less likely to live in poverty.

This year’s theme for International Literacy Day was “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era.” The urgency is clear: In an AI-driven world, traditional literacy and digital literacy are now inseparable. UNESCO defines digital literacy as the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and create information safely and effectively using technology. Without these skills, adults face double exclusion — shut out from both education and the opportunities of the digital economy.

Philadelphia is already feeling the pinch. Employers across industries from healthcare to energy to transportation say they can’t find enough skilled workers. According to the PA Chamber of Business and Industry, for every 100 open jobs, only 77 qualified workers are available to fill them. At the same time, our aging population and the reshoring of manufacturing demand even more skilled labor. The gap is not about motivation — it’s about opportunity.

Investing in adult education closes that gap. Research shows that when an adult improves their literacy skills by even one level, they are 50 percent less likely to live in poverty. Parents who learn inspire their children to succeed in school. Workers who earn credentials lift their families into stability. Communities benefit from higher wages, lower unemployment, and stronger civic engagement.

This week is National Adult and Family Literacy Week — a reminder that literacy is not a luxury; it is a necessity. For Philadelphia to thrive in the digital era, we must commit to expanding access to education for the adults who have been left behind.

When adults learn, families grow stronger. When families grow stronger, neighborhoods flourish. And when neighborhoods flourish, Philadelphia prospers.

Kimmell Joslin Proctor is CEO of Beyond Literacy, Pennsylvania’s largest adult education nonprofit.

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