About

Reading TUtoring

LEGAL

Greater Columbia Literacy Council

DBA

Literacy SC

EIN

57-0528228

CHARITY ID

C4790 (SC)

HISTORy

Serving SC since 1968

Debt-Free Nonprofit

Learn more. Earn more. Do More.South Carolina

Literacy SC believes in a world where anyone can move up and ahead through the power of reading. So we teach adults and families practical skills in reading, writing and math to build confidence in daily life.

Open since 1968, we have passed through a lot of different leaders and structures. Right now, under the leadership of CEO Lisa Cole, we partner with local libraries, churches and private businesses across central South Carolina to deliver impactful learning experiences through volunteer-led tutoring and staff-led classes.

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Columbia: 803-216-5663
Aiken: 803-679-1990

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[email protected]

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2062 N. Beltline Blvd.
Columbia SC 29204
No mail here, please.

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PO Box 6482
Columbia, SC 29260

The Hidden Struggle

1 in nearly 5 SC adults cannot read this.At all

Behind the beautiful Columbia skylines and quiet streets all across our great state is a silent crisis. Over 800,000 of our SC neighbors are locked out of the economy, the doctor’s office, and even their own children’s education because they lack basic reading skills. We exist to provide the key to unlock the door of their own life.

Turning Pages

Private Reading TutoringFor adults 18+

Our flagship service, the Turning Pages Adult Reading Program, teaches adults to read through personalized, one-on-one tutoring and Reading Labs that are free of cost. Adults in central South Carolina who read below a 9th grade level get 50+ hours of private reading tutoring per year plus Reading Labs and all books. Available at 25 libraries in Richland, Lexington, Aiken and Saluda Counties.

Honoring Our Past

Where Every Chapter MattersSince 1968

We didn’t become Literacy SC overnight. It took decades of grit, thousands of tiny changes, and a relentless belief that words change worlds. This timeline shows our evolution from the Greater Columbia Literacy Council (1968) to Turning Pages SC (2006) to the regional powerhouse we are today. We all stand on the shoulders of giants. So let’s pause to remember the champions who walked this path before us.

Literacy SC began in Columbia, South Carolina, back in 1968, fueled by a global movement by Dr. Frank Laubach of Laubach International to teach adults to read their native language. A group of local women took those methods and built the Greater Columbia Literacy Council. Over time this council grew into a thriving business, eventually winning the nation’s first health literacy grant at the turn of the century. By 2007, we had merged with a national organization. But when the 2009 recession hit, that umbrella organization pulled out and shut our Turning Pages – VOA Carolinas Division down. We refused to close. We fought back, reestablishing ourselves as an independent South Carolina charity within a few years.

The great recession had weakened us. We barely survived the 2020 pandemic by moving literacy into homeless shelters. Then, in 2022, we hit a breaking point. We lost our Executive Director, and the board faced a choice: dissolve or rebuild. Thanks to a legacy gift from a late board member, we chose to stay open, use it wisely and rebuild.

In August 2022, then-board member Lisa Cole stepped in to lead a total overhaul. We ditched the old bureaucracy and outdated systems, and replaced it all with a lean, professional, modern infrastructure. As 2023 opened, we had already doubled our board and recruited 75 new volunteers.

By 2025 we had grown to nine employees leading seven programs with 27 partner sites across four counties. We also rebranded as Literacy SC to meet various literacy needs locally and statewide. Today, we are debt-free, cash-in-hand, and focused on one thing: making sure every adult in South Carolina can read well.

1968: Greater Columbia Literacy Council (GCLC) Founded.
1980s: Dr. Frank Laubach honored on US Stamp.
1994: Ms. Debbie Yoho appointed Executive Director of GCLC.
1995: Awarded David W. Robinson Community Catalyst Award (Central Carolina Community Foundation) for “leadership, creativity, vision and commitment” to addressing community issues.
1998: “Rolling Readers” established to offer read alouds to groups of children throughout the Midlands area. Early elementary tutoring for grades 1-3 was also offered in elementary schools .
2000: Turning Pages chosen selected for Governor’s Award in the Humanities.
2000: Awarded Health Literacy Grant (Pfizer, Inc), one of only three such grants in the nation.
2006: Turning Pages merges with Volunteers of America of the Carolinas.
2009: Volunteers of America dissolves leaving Turning Pages without a 501c3 for a few years.
2010: Executive Director Ms. Debbie Yoho retires and Mr. John Myers succeeds her.
2012: Mr. Chris Mathews succeeds Mr. John Myers
2013: Turning Pages named ‘Non-Profit of the Month’ by the Columbia Business Monthly.
2014: Tutoring begins tutoring at Bridges’ Clubhouse.
2014: Turning Pages participates in Literacy 2030 with the Richland & South Carolina State Library.
2015: Turning Pages awarded “Excellence in Community Service” from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Columbia Chapter.
2018: Turning Pages receives grant by the Woman’s Club of Columbia.
2018: Ms. Miriam Calamaro takes the reigns from Mr. Chris Mathews.
2019: Ms. Sandra Bright succeeds Ms. Miriam Calamaro as executive director.
2020: Face-to-face tutoring ceases once pandemic begins.
2021: Board member Mr. Ram’on Wideman is appointed new executive director.
2021: Fundamentals of Reading (F.A.R. group reading) program piloted at Transitions.
2022: Board member Ms. Lisa Cole accepts Chair-as-Interim Executive Director role after the passing of ED Mr. Ram’on Wideman.
2022: New 3-year plan created and program structure is overhauled.
2023: New tutors trained, new learners enroll, and new partnerships formed.
2024: The Board appoints Lisa Cole as permanent Executive Director on January 1.
2024: Turning Pages SC expands free private tutoring into Aiken County.
2025: Literacy SC is born; new live, staff-led classes added and largest gift ($31.5K) in 15 years awarded.
2026: Nine staff roll out new in-person classes locally and virtual classes statewide

Frank Laubach (Laubach International)
Frank Laubach was a man on a mission. After receiving his doctorate from Union Theological Seminary in 1915 he was assigned to the Philippines. He soon found himself with the Muslim Maranao tribe in the Southern part of this island chain. At first the tribe was suspicious. So he lived among them, listened to them, and learned their language. He soon realized that when a loved one moved away there was no way to keep in touch since they had no written language. Dr. Laubach helped them devise a written language, training his staff to become their reading teachers. Then, the Great Depression hit and funding dried up. The program would have to close. He called a meeting to tell all the bad news. His journal entry from that day reads as follows:

“Kaka Dagalangit, a tall chieftan with fierce black eyes, stood up. He has 13 wives and all he has to do is look at them and they behave. He looked at me with those fierce eyes and said, ‘This campaign shall not stop. It’s our only hope. Then he looked at those teachers with his fierce eyes and said, ‘I’ll make everybody who knows how to read teach somebody else, or I’ll kill him.’ Everybody taught. Nobody died. Everybody liked it. I did not like the motto ‘teach or die’ and so changed it to ‘Each One Teach One.’”

Frank Laubach, Journal

And, so Frank Laubach began a great mission to teach adults how to read and write their native language. He founded a global literacy association called Laubach Literacy, known today as Proliteracy. In the late 1960s, he spoke to a group in the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina about adult literacy. Vera Mae Hall and a small group of Methodist ladies from West Columbia, SC, were in those meetings. They were so touched that they brought adult literacy work back to the Midlands, founding the Greater Columbia Literacy Council in November 1968. In the 1980s, Dr. Laubach, the “Apostle of Literacy”, was honored by the US Government with his own stamp. Over a half century since our founding, we carry Frank Laubach’s compassionate spirit in all we do.

Vera Mae Hall (Founder)
Born in Columbia, SC, Vera was a daughter of the late Otto Brown and Fannie Mae Hutchison Brown. She was retired after 38 years of service from Southern Bell. Mrs. Hall was a member of St. Mark United Methodist Church; served as chair on the Administrative Board and founder of “Room 32” at Cayce United Methodist Church and was leader of the AID’S Care Team at Washington Street United Methodist Church. Mrs. Hall was a board member of the Oliver Gospel Mission and founder of the Greater Columbia Literacy Council (now known as Turning Pages SC).

George McIntosh (Funder)
George McIntosh made a difference in our Midlands community, as a long term advocate of Turning Pages. He served the cause of adult literacy in the Columbia area for 50 years! As a board member, tutor, and even board chair, George championed the mission of Turning Pages. He believed in the power of volunteers helping adults learn to read with one-on-one tutoring. Even in his 90s, he was at board meetings helping us clarify our direction. When he passed away, he left a trust fund to Turning Pages. It is thanks to this trust fund that we survived and thrived after the pandemic. If only he could see his gift at work today! Thank you, George, for using your gifts to help others!

“Col. George A. McIntosh (U.S. Army Ret.), age 95, a resident of Still Hopes Retirement Community, passed away on March 23rd, 2017. He was born on May 30, 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were Eleanor H. and Floyd N. McIntosh. He grew up in Cleveland and graduated from Glenville H.S. in 1939. He attended Ohio University and early in 1942 was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was sent to New Guinea and ended up in the Philippines as a 1st Sergeant. He received a commission as a 2nd Lt. of field artillery and commanded two separate artillery battalions and the 416th Engineer Group. He was sent to Korea in 1951 serving as a forward observer and later served as a prison camp Enclosure Commander. He was sent back to Cleveland State University to get his B.S. degree in electrical engineering. He attended the Command and General Staff College and transferred to the Corp of Engineers and retired as a Colonel. Following his military career, George went to work for The Square D company in… [read more]“

Start with Literacy SC

Learn where you fit with usNew

New to our nonprofit? Join a virtual intro session to learn about Literacy SC’s core programs and how to find the right fit for your needs, whether you want to learn or volunteer. Start with Literacy SC virtual info sessions will be held on… {Coming This March} >>

Recent Sponsors

We are a debt-free, cash in hand nonprofit. We are not government funded, so we rely on the passion of people and places who believe in possibilities. We prioritize our mission and programs, staying lean and agile so dollars power the programs that make reading well possible.