History
In 1997, the Congregation of St. Joseph honored its 125 years of service to the Diocese of Cleveland by providing start-up funds to an organization that incorporated its ministry: Seeds of Literacy. Specializing in GED preparation, Seeds was designed to be a free and easily accessible adult literacy program offered to residents of Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Seeds recruited volunteers to tutor students, and developed volunteer tutor-training sessions, materials and supplies. The one-to-one, individualized curriculum developed by Seeds helped build relationships of trust between tutors and students, and accommodated students at all levels of academic achievement.
In 2005, Seeds underwent significant organizational changes. In addition to receiving national accreditation from ProLiteracy, the largest adult literacy organization in the world, we also became a separate 501(c)3 organization, changing the board of directors structure from an advisory to a governing board.
In 2014, Seeds expanded its reach to Cleveland’s east side by opening a Kinsman Avenue location. Attendance and new enrollments quickly grew as word of the program spread.
In 2018, the State of Ohio announced that HiSET and TASC would be offered as high school equivalency test options, in addition to the GED. Seeds was the first to implement curriculum for both of these offerings.
In March 2020, Seeds underwent an unplanned expansion. When COVID-19 closed on-site classrooms, the organization launched a Virtual Classroom — offering free tutoring services over Zoom.
Today, Seeds serves an average of 1,500 active students annually with the help of over 500 volunteer tutors.
We offer open enrollment and year-round classes, allowing students to begin whenever they are ready. Beyond GED preparation, we provide career planning, guidance on exploring higher education opportunities, and instruction in health, financial, and digital literacy. Students also have access to community resources that support their success both in and out of the classroom.