Detroit task force unveils adult literacy ‘blueprint,’ council accepts report

Councilwoman Waters brought the Adult Literacy Task Force before the Detroit City Council on March 21, 2025, as members of the task force presented a yearlong review and a recommended “blueprint” of next steps to measure and expand adult literacy services across the city.

The task force, led by Dr. Erica Robertson (Adventures Publishing House; Education at Scale Foundation), Dr. Katrina Kelly Wicker (Michigan State University College of Education) and Dr. Leah Van Bell (Detroit Parent Network), told the council it launched in January 2024 after a city resolution directed formation of the group. Dr. Robertson said the group’s goals were to “inspire Detroiters to become better readers and contribute to the digital and financial footprint of the city.”

The task force described four priority areas for adult literacy work: reading and writing literacy, financial literacy, digital literacy and family literacy. Presenters emphasized they were not proposing a brand-new program but rather seeking to coordinate and strengthen existing local providers, create shared data and measurement, and establish an intuitive “literacy hub” so residents can find services. “We weren't here to create a new program,” Dr. Robertson said. “What we acknowledge is there's a lot of amazing organizations…