Teens Learn about Illiteracy

An editorial.

By Mireya Cedeno
Grade: Sophomore
School: Marshall High School

A group of teenagers learn the real concepts of illiteracy by exploring downtown Los Angeles.  

Young interns, part of the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) Youth Internship Program, interviewed members of the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Times building. In order to become community leaders, CRF believes that its interns must be aware of issues in their community and that they should become involved with these problems to develop a solution. The adventurous teenagers asked questions regarding the issue of illiteracy and about the programs established to help people, children or adults, with reading difficulty. They also found out about volunteer programs, websites, and a hotline to help with the problem of illiteracy.  

The CRF interns also explored the city of Los Angeles on foot and by bus. They visited the most famous sites in the city and did research on their issue by collecting facts on illiteracy. For example, they discovered that Los Angeles has the highest rate of under-educated adults of any major city in the United States. The group of teenagers received gift bags from the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles with great movies and helpful information on the issue. Our future community leaders are now well-informed on one of many major problems in the city of Los Angeles and its surroundings and are now taking action on how to eliminate or at least reduce it. Illiteracy is an issue that affects adults and children as well.

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