HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Wallace State Community College Adult Education is partnering with area libraries to help families find free reading programs, educational activities and other community resources.
The outreach is part of Families Learning Together, an initiative supported by a $10,000 Family Literacy Grant awarded to Wallace State by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation in May.
Through the partnership, Wallace State Adult Education is highlighting summer reading activities, family events and learning opportunities offered by local libraries, including the Shirley Burden Public Library in Hanceville.
The initiative is designed to involve adult learners and their children in shared educational activities rather than serving each age group separately.
Wallace State Adult Education Director Patti Wilkins said the program helps parents strengthen their own literacy while taking a more active role in their children’s education.
“Wallace State’s Families Learning Together initiative helps adult learners improve basic literacy skills by becoming their children’s first teachers,” Wilkins said.
Planned activities under the initiative include library workshops, shared reading sessions, take-home literacy kits and Wallace State’s Adult Education Fall Family Literacy Festival. Parents and children participate together, allowing families to practice reading and other skills outside a traditional classroom.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation requires Family Literacy Grant recipients to combine adult education, children’s education and Parent and Child Together Time, commonly called PACT. The model is intended to improve literacy across generations while giving parents tools to support learning at home.
Wallace State’s award was part of nearly $16 million distributed by the foundation during a single day in 2026 for adult, family and summer literacy programs. The total exceeded the more than $13.2 million awarded during the corresponding grant period in 2025.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation was established in 1993. It provides grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries located within 15 miles of a Dollar General store or distribution center. Its funding supports adult literacy, family literacy, summer reading and youth literacy programs.
The Hanceville partnership also connects participating families with services already available through the Shirley Burden Public Library.
The library is located at 201 Commercial St. in Hanceville. It is open from 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. For information about library programs, call 256-352-0685.
Wallace State Adult Education offers free classes and materials for adults seeking academic assistance, high school equivalency preparation, English-language instruction, workforce preparation or help transitioning into college or career training.
Classes are available on the Wallace State campus and at affiliated locations throughout Cullman, Blount, Morgan and Winston counties. Day, evening and online options are available through the program.
Services include adult basic education, GED preparation, college preparatory instruction, workplace education, English as a Second Language classes and the Alabama Career Essentials program.
The college also offers a High School Diploma Option for qualifying adults who previously attended an Alabama high school and need to satisfy remaining graduation requirements.
Adult Education classes, instructional materials and many related services are offered at no charge. Enrollment remains open throughout the year, although participants must complete an orientation before beginning classes.
For more information about Wallace State Adult Education or Families Learning Together, contact Wilkins at 256-352-7429 or patti.wilkins@wallacestate.edu.
