Latest News

The Appalachian Learning Initiative (APPLI, like "apply") is bringing attention to the recently released "Skinny Budget," released by the Office of Management and Budget on May 2nd, 2025, which proposes cutting $729 million in Adult Education funding from the federal budget. This proposal would result in the total elimination of all funding for adult education allocated under the U.S. Department of Education through the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title

As of the most recent data release, more than 3 out of every 5 adults aged 16-65 (60.9%) living in Maryland's Appalachian counties read at or below an 8th-grade level. In addition to reading proficiency issues, nearly 3 out of every 4 adults (72.3%) struggle with basic math.

The Appalachian Learning Initiative (APPLI, pronounced like "apply") released its Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2024 on April 16th, 2025.

As of the most recent data release, nearly 3 out of every 4 adults aged 16-65 living in Kentucky's Appalachian counties read at or below an 8th Grade level. In addition to reading proficiency issues, nearly 4 out of every 5 adults struggle with basic math. Kentucky's Appalachian counties tend to have significantly higher incidence and prevalence rates of both infectious and non-infectious diseases and health behaviors, and face substantial barriers to health and learning.

As of the most recent data release, more than 3 out of every 5 adults aged 16-65 living in Georgia's Appalachian counties read at or below an 8th Grade level. In addition to reading proficiency issues, nearly 3 out of every 4 adults struggle with basic math. Georgia's Appalachian counties tend to have significantly higher incidence and prevalence rates of both infectious and non-infectious diseases and health behaviors, and face substantial barriers to health and learning.

The Appalachian Learning Initiative has launched the first iteration of its latest tool: The Appalachian Advocacy Toolkit

Nearly 2 out of every 3 adults living in Alabama's Appalachian counties read at or below an 8th Grade level

Big changes are coming to APPLI in 2025, so I wanted to take some time to provide an update on some items past and what we have in store.

New data released by the National Center for Education Statistics found that a significantly larger percentage of adults living in the U.S.