In the 1960s, change was in the air. There were flower children and Woodstock, but more lasting societal changes underlay our founding. The Civil Rights movement made people aware of minority rights. Vietnam protests popularized grass-roots activism. The women’s movement was gaining strength. As a result of Vatican II, Catholics were encouraged to be more open to other faiths and to help the poor.
Even before then, Frank Laubach, a missionary, realized that lives would improve if people could read and write better. He created an “Each One Teach One” literacy program in the Philippines. He continued to research and work on literacy methods throughout his life.
In Syracuse, New York, Ruth Colvin read his books and studied his approach.