Leadership, Education and Democracy 

If you share our belief in the transforming power of education, if you believe that democracy requires—and social justice demands—meaningful educational opportunities for everyone, we invite you to get involved with Living Wages.  There are two ways to help: as a volunteer tutor, or, as a supporter of LEAD, our grassroots volunteer literacy corps.  Your help will make D.C., and the world, a little better place. 

Living Wages has, for the past five years, offered adult residents of Southeast Washington D.C. opportunities to pursue their educational goals by completing high school, gaining computer skills and participating in personal and professional training programs.  Their reasons for study usually included jobs, post-secondary education and the desire to be good role models for their children.

Adult education provides benefits that are not always so obvious or readily appreciated.  Adult education has the power to transform and empower not only the participant, but also family members, friends and members of the larger community.  Adult education, ideally, enables men and women to have opportunities to realize their own potential.

LEAD, which stands for Leadership, Education and Democracy, is a grass roots literacy project that was organized last fall by Living Wages.  LEAD is a tangible expression of the belief that adult education should not be owned by experts, but by members of the community.  LEAD provides graduates of Living Wages programs opportunities to share the rich and multi-faceted experience of education with others in their community.

On one level, LEAD is intended to address the fact that in Southeast DC there is a great unmet need for adult education resources.  Members of LEAD serve as tutors, coaches, advocates providing outreach to the community.

On a second level, LEAD enables members to continue to develop their professional and personal skills leading to better employment or to continued education or training.

Finally, LEAD embodies the idea that sustainable and equitable development of our society requires the informed participation of men and women in every sphere of life.  Every citizen has something to teach and something to learn. 

Members of LEAD will foster the development of leadership skills, teach others, and foster democratic change in their society.

While Southeast D.C. has serious, complex social challenges, lasting solutions will be found among residents determined to work for positive change.  Adult education will surely be a key part of the solution and LEAD hopes to be a key part of the adult education.

If you would like to know more about LEAD, please call or e-mail us.