PBS News Hour

Why so many American adults lack basic literacy skills

In the U.S., 36 million adults lack the basic literacy skills needed to sustain employment -- yet education programs for this group serve only about 1.5 million, and funding continues to be cut at state and federal levels. Meanwhile, stigma can keep adults from reconnecting with the classroom. Kavitha Cardoza reports from Maine, whose governor has pledged to increase funding for adult education.

Why so many American adults lack basic literacy skills

8m 6s

  • Run, Hide, Fight: Growing Up Under the Gun: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Run, Hide, Fight: Growing Up Under the Gun

    25m 50s

    Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children and teens. Run, Hide, Fight: Growing Up Under the Gun captures how gun violence affects young Americans. PBS News Student Reporting Labs in collaboration with 14 student journalists from five U.S. cities, offer a look into how the same young people that have survived these traumatic events are leading the fight for a safer future.

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