The Literacy Center of West Michigan is helping redefine how adult education connects to community health. In a recent national conversation hosted by COABE, Executive Director Wendy Falb and former staff member Bree Straayer shared how West Michigan is pioneering a new model of health literacy rooted directly in healthcare settings.
Executive Director Wendy V. Falb, PhD and former staff member Bree Straayer, PhD, co-authored an article for the COABE Journal exploring how adult education programs can integrate health literacy into instruction. While the full article is available in the peer-reviewed COABE Journal, its themes were shared more broadly through a recorded “Meet the Author” webinar conversation.
Rather than adding health topics into traditional literacy classes, the Literacy Center situates literacy instruction directly within healthcare settings—a new and groundbreaking approach in adult education. In partnership with clinics and health providers, support is embedded where patients are already receiving care. Learners build reading, communication, and self-advocacy skills using real medical forms, appointment systems, and provider conversations as the learning context.
Wendy explained that this model is designed to reduce barriers at the point of need. By bringing literacy into clinics, the program strengthens understanding, confidence, and access to care within trusted community spaces. The recorded webinar offers a helpful overview of this work and its relevance for adult education providers nationwide. You can watch the recording here.