History
Founded in 1964 by Sister Cecilia Linenbrink, The Learning Source began in a church basement with only 40 students, 16 volunteers, and no paid staff. Today, it is the oldest and largest adult education agency in the state of Colorado. The spirit of volunteerism, the importance of reaching and helping our students in an individual or small group setting, has not changed in these fifty years. Our mission is the cornerstone of our efforts in the greater Denver area: “The Learning Source promotes and provides educational opportunities through collaborative partnerships for adults and families to support their future achievements.”
As a leader of adult literacy in Colorado, The Learning Source served over 2000 adult students last year. We did so in a variety of settings and locations. In our attempt to make education accessible to as many people as possible, we operated community ESL programs at 8 locations, Adult Basic Education, GED and college transition community programs at 8 locations and family literacy in 11 elementary schools. Additionally, we served inmates at the Denver City and County jails and provided classes and GED testing for them as they transitioned back into the community.
Of those we served, 26% were served in correctional programs, 21% in school-based family literacy, 24% in neighborhood ABE/GED programs, and 29% in neighborhood English Language learning centers. 44% of our students reported a household annual income of less than $9,000, 60% of our students were between the ages of 25 and 44, and 57% of our adult students were female. Hispanics were our largest ethnic group with 57% reporting themselves in that ethnic group and 31% of our students reported being unemployed.
