Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

The Open Doors project addresses the literacy needs of adults, including young adults ages 18-24 seeking the GED (parents and caregivers of preschoolers; and native Spanish speakers - a population with the highest rates of poverty, unemployment and school dropout in southern Nevada. The project builds on the existing and highly successful literacy outreach programs of the Library District's CALL (Computer-Assisted Literacy in Libraries) program and of KLVX Communications, the top-rated station for Hispanic family viewing in Las Vegas. The CALL program will extend its one-on-one contact with students in the classroom and computer labs through DVD, CD, and VHS programs, as well as broadcasts, which will enable students to continue the program via interactive video at home. The project will demonstrate how the unique resources of public libraries and public television can be combined to provide new, cost-effective methods for supporting critical literacy learning among adults and children.