The New Mexico Coalition for Literacy (NMCL) was founded in 1987 by First Lady Katherine Carruthers in response to the public's concern about the high illiteracy rate among adults in New Mexico. For twenty-five years, the NMCL has providedfunding, training, and technical assistance to local adult literacy programs statewide. These local programs, in turn, provide literacy instruction to adults who want to improve their literacy skills.