Learn4Free Project: Democratizing Online Learning

Adult literacy

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Los Angeles County is home to nearly one million adults lacking basic literacy skills, with over 500,000 speaking limited or no English. Adult literacy is closely linked to employment, housing stability, and health outcomes. Adults with low literacy levels are less likely to be employed full time, earn lower wages, and face greater difficulty navigating systems like health care and education.
Digital illiteracy compounds the challenge. Without foundational education and digital skills, adults are excluded from job opportunities, civic participation, and even their children’s education.
Learn4Free exists to remove these barriers—delivering accessible, self-paced, bilingual learning pathways in digital literacy, financial literacy, workforce readiness, health and wellness, and life skills. By providing certificates for every completed course, we affirm learner success and help boost confidence for job applications, reentry programs, and career advancement.

Learn4Free is a free, multilingual adult education platform providing on-demand courses to LA County adults. Designed for low-literacy and limited-English speakers, Learn4Free provides:

Courses in English and Spanish, with plans to expand to other languages

Certificates of completion for each course

Training in digital literacy, financial literacy, workforce skills, life skills, and health/wellness

Mobile-friendly access to accommodate adults without computers

This grant will support platform enhancements, community outreach, and additional bilingual content development, including translation into more languages. It will also support strategic partnerships with local community centers, libraries, reentry programs, and ESL support networks.

Our model is simple: provide low-barrier, high-value education to adults who need it most. We understand that college is not for everyone nor is it a financially viable option for some. Our efforts to democratize education gives everyone an opportunity to become lifelong learners and improve their economic mobility. All courses are self-paced, require no prior tech skills, and include visual learning tools to support comprehension.

Participants can use their certificates to demonstrate learning to employers, job readiness programs, or as personal goals in recovery, reentry, or reintegration. The program is ideal for adults who are parents, caregivers, immigrants, seniors, or individuals with inconsistent access to education.

Los Angeles County will be more literate, economically resilient, and digitally empowered. Adults who complete Learn4Free courses will have the confidence and competencies to apply for jobs, advocate for their health, budget effectively, and support their families.
Increased adult literacy will positively impact family systems, especially for parents who can now better assist their children academically and model lifelong learning. Health literacy will lead to better preventative care and fewer emergency visits. Workforce readiness will lead to higher rates of employment and career advancement, particularly among low-income residents and immigrants.
Community centers, nonprofits, and workforce agencies will also have a no-cost tool to refer clients for independent, skills-based learning, helping them scale their impact without duplicating efforts. Over time, the county will see stronger families, fewer reentry gaps, and reduced reliance on public services.