Established in 1985, as a 501c (3) organization, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Adult Literacy Council (ALC), has been serving the Clarksville and Fort Campbell communities for 35 years. With two part-time employees, we serve over 300 adult learners annually, and ALC has utilized approximately 40 volunteer tutors who serve in the mission of fighting illiteracy.

ALC Mission Statement: ​

·           ​To promote public awareness of the need for literacy education in the Clarksville-Montgomery County-Fort Campbell Area

·           To recruit students who are under-educated in basic reading and computation skills and persons with English as a second language

·           To recruit and train tutors who are interested in teaching adults with low reading and computation skills

·           To assist adults whose reading, comprehension, and/or math skills are below the 7th-grade level

·           To obtain and allocate funds for the local adult literacy program​

To achieve our mission, ALC offers four tutorial programs:

·           English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL),

·           High School Equivalency Preparation (HSEP),

·           Life Longer Learner (LLL), and

·           Read, Educate, Apply, and Develop Skills (READ).

In all four programs, adult learners' progress is heavily monitored by the tutors and overseen by the executive director. All services provided by the Clarksville-Montgomery County Adult Literacy Council are free to the community, including the Fort Campbell areas. The free tutorial services are offered year-round.

The HSEP tutorial program provides one-on-one tutoring sessions for those adults preparing to take the HISET (High School Equivalency) Test. Initially, each adult learner is assessed by the TABE (Test of Adults Basic Education) TEST to determine levels of competency for reading and/or math and/or language. Each adult learner and assigned volunteer tutor are given study materials to prepare their adult learner for the HISET exam. The volunteer tutors are trained and accountable to the individualized lesson plan of instructions for the TABE tutorial materials. A review of weekly reporting is used by the executive director to determine progress and an estimate of a re-test date. The adult learner must reach the "D" (difficult) level of the 9/10 equivalency grade to qualify for the TN State HISET OPT (Official Practice Test). This is necessary in order to take the HISET Exam in the State of Tennessee.

Adult learners enrolled in the ALC LLL tutorial program aim to improve their reading, mathematics, and/or computer skills. Services provided in the LLL program enhance adult learners' qualifications for promotions or jobs, and improve their quality of life through a better understanding of written or digital materials. ALC offers free tutorial services to adults reading below the 3rd-grade level who desire to improve reading skills for personal improvement by providing tutorial material, a laptop (if applicable), and an assigned literacy volunteer tutor to introduce or reinforce phonics skills. ALC offers computer skills for senior citizens in our community. Additionally, the TABE Test is used by the Adult Literacy Executive Director to develop individualized lesson plans to assist the volunteer tutors who utilize the lesson plans to teach basic academic skills. Student's improvement qualifies them to advance into the ASVAB Tutorial Service. The organization partners with Daymar College, the Clarksville Montgomery Public Library, and Spring Creek Baptist Church to host various tutorial sites and computer labs in our community. LLL tutoring is available in both one-on-one and small group sessions.

The READ tutorial program provides ASVAB tutorial services. The primary goal is to prepare those who are unable to pass military entrance exams. ALC offers the ASVAB tutorial service for civilians (potential recruits) who are referred by an armed force recruiter. There are military retirees, who are familiar with the format of the ASVAB exam, serving as volunteer tutors. The ALC Executive Director uses the TABE as an assessment tool to determine levels of competency in Reading, Math, and/or Language. The TABE test determines grade levels and re-testing schedules. The director creates individualized lesson plans for each learner. Based on each student's level, they will be assigned directly to ASVAB or assigned to a tutor for basic education in the LLL tutorial program. The lesson plans created for each student address the student's basic educational needs. Next is a review of weekly reports from the tutors until a student has mastered a skill in a specific area and/or re-test. This process is continued until a student meets their goal to pass the ASVAB exam.

The ESOL tutorial program supports international adults with little or no English skills by providing Conversational English Groups. Because of the proximity to Fort Campbell, ALC receives international adult learners from various language backgrounds. The primary goal is for them to gain independence as they implement English conversation in 'real-life' experiences. There are four different English levels available through which the international adult learner progresses. Volunteer tutors conduct real-life lessons to help the students become familiar with American culture. ALC offers Citizenship Classes for foreigners who are interested in becoming a citizen of the United States of America.