Hailing from 90 different countries and speaking 50 different languages, 1,500 adult learners come to EEC (formerly Literacy Council of Northern Virginia) each year to learn the basics of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English. A dedicated team of 500 volunteers delivers beginning-level English classes while concurrently introducing learners to important resources related to voting, employment, finances, health, and more. Many students progress into advanced, skill-based classes, or join Destination Workforce, a program that builds the foundational literacy and soft skills needed to obtain and succeed in entry-level jobs. In partnership with public schools, a family literacy program provides English instruction for parents while their children read, write, and get help with their homework. EEC served its 60,000th learner in 2022, and demand continues to grow. For our immigrant neighbors, English opens doors to education, employment, community engagement — and greater understanding.

Headquarters: VA-Fairfax County

Where They Operate: VA-Arlington County; VA-Fairfax County; VA-City of Alexandria; VA-City of Fairfax; VA-City of Falls Church

Age Groups Served: Youth (5-11); Pre-teen/teen (12-17); Adult (25-49)

Population(s) Served: Low- to Moderate-Income Community Members; Low- to Moderate-Income Community Members

Schools They Work In: Crestwood Elementary School; Glasgow Middle School; John Adams Elementary School


  • Adult learners served annually:   Over 1,500
  • LCNV-trained volunteers providing hours of service annually:   530 volunteers provide over 20,000 hours
  • Students who completed 40 hours of instruction and improved by an educational level in FY 2016:   77%
  • Students in the Family Learning Program reported increased involvement in their children's education in FY 2016:   86%

Awards & Recognition

-LCNV-AmeriCorps Instructor Kat Contreras received Blackboard's prestigious Teacher Appreciation Month recognition.
- LCNV Board President Kitty Porterfield selected as 2015 Nonprofit Board Leader of the Year in Alexandria
- The White House selected LCNV’s AmeriCorps classroom instructor Xavier Munoz as one of the ten recipients of the 2014 Cesar E. Chavez “Champion of Change” award in 2014.

Press

Budget (FY2023)

  • $3 million or higher
  • The current budget for English Empowerment Center (formerly Literacy Council of Northern Virginia) is: $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

About Spur Local

Every year, 190+ local nonprofits (with budgets under $4M) apply to join the Spur Local network. 170+ community volunteers assess these applications for impact. 100% of organizations are site visited and financially reviewed. Finally, 76+ critical, local nonprofits are selected for inclusion in Spur Local's annual print and digital catalog, and enter a four-year partnership with us. Since 2003, we have raised over $65 million for nonprofits across the Greater Washington region. We charge no fees and raise funds separately to support our work.

Spur Local looks to friends like you to keep our services independent and entirely free of charge. Consider a small contribution to Spur Local to cap off your gift and help the causes you care about get the full support they deserve!

If you like English Empowerment Center (formerly Literacy Council of Northern Virginia) you might also like



This organization collaborates with