Penn State’s College of Education established the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy (ISAL) in 1985, to advance the field of adult literacy through collaborative research, development, outreach, and leadership. In 2001, the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy was launched to provide leadership and interdisciplinary research for family literacy programming. ISAL and the Goodling Institute work in tandem to conduct research and to improve practice and professional development in adult education, family literacy, and career pathways so that individuals and their families can access high-quality education.ISAL’s Workforce Development Liaison Project provides leadership to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Career Pathways for Adults initiative throughout the Commonwealth.

For more information, contact Penn State Co-Principal Investigators, Esther Prins and Carol Clymer.