The Literacy & Learning Center is thrilled to celebrate dedicated After-School volunteer Tricia Smith, who has been named the recipient of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award! Presented annually, this prestigious award honors an individual who exemplifies selfless giving, outstanding leadership, and compassion while making a profound, positive impact on the Highlands Plateau through their time and talent. Tricia’s extraordinary commitment to local service was jointly...

The Literacy & Learning Center is pleased to welcome Kristi Birchfield as its new Programs Manager. As Programs Manager, Kristi will oversee TLLC’s educational programs for children and adults, including After-School, Individual Tutoring, Summer Camps, Adult Education, High School Equivalency (GED) preparation, Citizenship Class, Financial Literacy, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Macon County. She will also work close with the Center’s teachers, volunteers, students and...

We all know reading is good for us, but a recent review of research published in the journal Psychological Medicine highlights the profound, lifelong cognitive and mental health benefits of recreational reading, defined as reading chosen voluntarily for personal satisfaction, whether it's novels, history books, or newspapers. Support for Youth & Adolescent Development: A study of over 10,000 young people in the U.S. found that children who began reading for pleasure early in life showed...