Winnebago County Literacy Council

What Winnebago County Literacy Council does

Winnebago Area Literacy Council (WALC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1964 and headquartered at 111 N Main St, Suite 202, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with a satellite space at the Oshkosh Public Library. The organization delivers free adult literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), citizenship preparation, workplace literacy, vocational, and family literacy programs to approximately 400 active learners, serving an average of 150 learners per week across six distinct programs: Women & Children (formerly Family Literature), Workplace Literacy, ESL, The Oshkosh Experience, Road to Work, and GROW (Gardening for Resilience, Opportunity, and Wisdom). WALC's primary learner base is immigrants and refugees in the Oshkosh/Winnebago County/Fox Cities region, with secondary cohorts including women and children, workplace English learners, and refugee-background middle and high school students. The technology layer is effectively nil — the organization is a community-service nonprofit with no proprietary software, integrations, patents, or AI capabilities; the product surface is human-delivered in-person instruction.

WALC operates on a grant- and donation-funded model. Revenue is generated through foundation grants (notably the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families' Refugee School Impact Grant) and individual community donations, with all programs delivered at no cost to learners in order to remove financial, childcare, and transportation barriers. Distribution is multi-channel: direct service at the Learning Center, satellite delivery at Oshkosh Public Library, on-site employer training (most prominently at Amcor's Oshkosh North Plant where 70+ employees receive weekly English classes), and community-venue programming (the GROW community garden at St. Andrew's Church, Neenah Public Library events). Go-to-market is community-led: outreach through resettlement-agency referrals, social-service partnerships, employer relationships, the Oshkosh Farmers Market, and earned media (Wisconsin Public Radio, UW-Oshkosh Today, THE KOSH podcast).

The organization is led by Executive Director Dr. Chu May Paing, a first-generation immigrant from Myanmar with a PhD in cultural anthropology, supported by a Vocational Services Director (Oxana) and Education Programs Coordinator (Emma Eiden). Strategic positioning is reinforced by the Candid Platinum Seal of transparency (2026), the Wisconsin Literacy Outstanding Achievement in Workforce Award (2025) for the Amcor partnership, and the inaugural WisACT Civic Visionary Award (2026). The employer-anchored Workplace Literacy model is the strongest commercial-analog proof point, with 25% overall skills improvement in three months at Amcor — positioning WALC as a workforce-inclusion infrastructure provider for Fox Cities manufacturers in addition to its direct-learner mission.

Name

Winnebago County Literacy Council

Legal name

Winnebago Area Literacy Council

Website

https://winlit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Winnebago Area Literacy Council (WALC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1964 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, providing free adult literacy, ESL, workplace, and career development programs to 400 active learners, primarily immigrants and refugees, across six community-based programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Literacy Education

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundational Reading & Writing Literacy (EDAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK), Family Literacy (Parent/Child & Intergenerational) (EDAAAAAE), ESL Literacy & Foundational English (Pre-beginner/Alphabetics) (EDAAACAB), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Adult literacy services
• English language learning
• Workplace literacy training
• Citizenship preparation classes
• Refugee career development

Headquarters

HQ city

Oshkosh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Foundations: WALC is funded primarily through grants from foundations such as the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families' Refugee School Impact Grant, and Wisconsin Literacy. These grants support specific programs including workplace literacy, summer programs, and operational costs.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual donations and community philanthropy support WALC's free programs. The organization operates on a cost-free basis for learners, removing financial barriers to participation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Winnebago Area Literacy Council (WALC) provides free, in-person adult literacy education to learners in the Oshkosh and Winnebago County area, including English as a Second Language (ESL), citizenship preparation, workplace English, family literacy, and career-readiness/vocational services. All programs are delivered at no cost to learners and are supported through grants, foundation funding, and individual donations.

Product overview

Winnebago Area Literacy Council (WALC) is a nonprofit educational organization offering free literacy programs for adults and families. Their services include English Language Learning (ELL), workplace literacy, citizenship classes, Road to Work vocational programs, Women & Children programs, and financial education workshops. WALC does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes Free English language instruction for adult learners, delivered at the WALC Learning Center in Oshkosh, covering reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
• Citizenship Preparation Classes Free classes preparing adult immigrants for the U.S. naturalization process, including civics and English-language interview preparation, delivered at the WALC Learning Center.
• Women & Children (Family Literacy) Program Family literacy program (formerly called Family Literature) that allows mothers to attend adult literacy classes while their children receive literacy support and early childhood activities on-site, removing childcare as a barrier.
• Workplace Literacy Program On-site workplace English language classes for non-native English-speaking employees, delivered at employer sites such as the Amcor Oshkosh North Plant. Over 70 employees served; assessment data shows 25% overall skills improvement in 3 months, with 31% reading, 21% writing, 18% speaking, and 11% listening gains.
• Road to Work Vocational Program Vocational services program that prepares WALC learners for employment and places them with local employers (Amcor, Generac, 4Imprint, Shopko Optical, Aurora Medical Center, Parkview Health Center, Planet Perk, Christian Community Childcare Center) across manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.
• The Oshkosh Experience Class Community-engagement class that introduces learners to local resources and institutions in Oshkosh, including a May 2026 visit to the Oshkosh Public Library.
• GROW (Gardening for Resilience, Opportunity, and Wisdom) Community Garden Program Summer program combining gardening with Women & Children participants, delivered at St. Andrew's Church community garden in partnership with Oshkosh Seed Savers and Service League of Oshkosh.
• Financial Education Workshops Workshops covering budgeting, credit management, fraud awareness, and consumer protection, delivered in partnership with Community First Credit Union at the Oshkosh Public Library with one-on-one financial specialist guidance available.
• New Voices New Faces Summer Program Art-integrated summer literacy program for middle and high school students from refugee backgrounds, developed in collaboration with the Oshkosh Area School District and UWO ArtsCore students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31% increase in reading, 21% in writing, 18% in speaking, 11% in listening for Amcor Workplace Literacy learners
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amcor Oshkosh North PlantcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024WALC partners with Amcor to deliver weekly on-site English language classes for non-native English-speaking employees. Classes cover practical workplace English and everyday communication. Over 70 employees served with measurable language gains. Partnership won the Outstanding Achievement in Workforce Award from Wisconsin Literacy in 2025.
• Oshkosh Area United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOshkosh Area United Way organizes the Day of Caring volunteer event, during which corporate teams (e.g., Oshkosh Corporation) volunteer with WALC on special projects such as the GROW community garden.
• St. Andrew's Church (Oshkosh)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Andrew's Church provides space for WALC's GROW (Gardening for Resilience, Opportunity, and Wisdom) community garden program for the Women & Children cohort.
• Community First Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Financial Education Workshops covering budgeting, credit management, fraud awareness, and consumer protection. Sessions held at Oshkosh Public Library with financial specialists available for one-on-one guidance.
• Oshkosh Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOshkosh Public Library serves as venue for Financial Education Workshops and provides a satellite program space for WALC classes at 106 Washington Ave, 3rd Floor.
• Oshkosh Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the New Voices New Faces summer program for refugee-background middle and high school students, combining art integration with literacy instruction.
• UWO ArtsCore ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Wisconsin Oshkosh ArtsCore students develop art-integrated curriculum and lesson plans for the New Voices New Faces summer program, providing hands-on teaching experience.
• Oshkosh Seed SaversminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOshkosh Seed Savers helped prepare the GROW community garden by laying down a winter tarp to naturally suppress grass and begin soil restoration.
• Service League of OshkoshminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVolunteer group that helped prepare the GROW community garden by creating pathways and setting up planting beds.
• Oshkosh CorporationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOshkosh Corporation employees volunteered through the Day of Caring (organized by Oshkosh Area United Way) to build the garden fence for WALC's GROW program.
• 4ImprintminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner where WALC learner Rozan was placed through the Road to Work program.
• Planet PerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cafe that hired WALC learner Fernanda as a result of WALC's Vocational Services support. Represents a community employment partnership.
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHabitat for Humanity program that WALC helped learners access for home ownership. WALC volunteers assisted with application process.
• Fox Valley Technical CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWALC learners enroll in FVTC programs (ELL, Welding) as part of their educational pathways. WALC instructor Machaela Jackson is a FVTC graduate.
• Wisconsin LiteracycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide literacy organization. WALC presented at Wisconsin Literacy's Winter Conference and received the Outstanding Achievement in Workforce Award at their Forward Conference. WALC also participates in Wisconsin Literacy programming.
• Neenah Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for special events such as the Translators film viewing and panel discussion.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Literacy Council of Nashville (Literacy Volunteers of Middle Tennessee): Community-based nonprofit providing free adult literacy, ESL, and workplace literacy tutoring. Comparable as a small/medium adult literacy nonprofit using a volunteer- and community-partnership delivery model.
• Literacy Pittsburgh: Pennsylvania-based adult literacy nonprofit offering ESL, ABE, and workforce literacy. Directly comparable mission, delivery model, and employer-partnership orientation to WALC.
• Literacy Minnesota: Statewide adult literacy organization offering ESL, ABE, and family literacy programs in Minnesota. Closest peer in terms of scope (adult basic education + ESL + family literacy) and nonprofit structure to WALC.
• The Immigrant Learning Center: Massachusetts-based nonprofit offering free ESL, computer literacy, and citizenship classes to immigrants. Comparable as a free, immigrant-focused adult education provider with wraparound workforce integration services.

Broad incumbents

• ProLiteracy: National nonprofit network representing adult literacy and ESL programs across the U.S., including Wisconsin Literacy member organizations. Comparable as the umbrella/adult literacy peer and a likely upstream funder/partner of WALC.
• Heartland Alliance (Chicago): Large Midwest anti-poverty and refugee services nonprofit offering ESL, refugee resettlement, and workforce programs. Broader scope than WALC but overlapping immigrant/refugee ESL and employment support.

Regional players

• International Institute of Wisconsin: Wisconsin-based nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, ESL, employment, and integration services. Directly comparable as a state-level immigrant/refugee services provider, though operating in Milwaukee rather than the Fox Cities region.
• Casa de la Esperanza: Wisconsin-based nonprofit serving immigrant and Latino communities with ESL, adult education, and family services. Operates in a different Wisconsin region (Waukesha) but directly comparable mission and target population.
• Centro Hispano of Wisconsin: Wisconsin-based Hispanic-centered nonprofit offering ESL, citizenship classes, and integration services. Comparable community-based immigrant education provider in the same state.

Emerging players

• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) Boston: Workforce development and English language training provider serving immigrants and refugees in Greater Boston. Comparable in delivering ESL plus employer-placement pathways similar to WALC's Road to Work program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/winnebago-area-literacy-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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