The Teton Literacy Program was founded in 1992 in response to the need for basic literacy education in Teton County, Wyoming. Concerned community members, Kirsten Corbett and Nancy Lee, wrote to the Federal Government seeking VISTA grant monies to provide one volunteer staff member to establish the program. While the Teton Literacy Program initially served just one adult literacy client, requests for services grew, and the founders trained volunteers to work one-on-one with an increasing number of clients.

In 1994, the Teton Literacy Program formed a Board of Directors to support the expansion and future of the program. The Board hired the first Executive Director in 1995 to work 75% of the year. Services expanded to include adult English Language Learners, as well as library and workplace education programs.

In 1999, the Board hired its first full-time, year-round Executive Director and Program Coordinator. The number of students served by the Teton Literacy Program expanded to over 100 in 1999 alone. The year 2000 marked the inception of the I Can! Book Project, which brings a unique literacy initiative to over 170 second grade students every year. In 2001, the Teton Literacy Program moved into a larger space with three classrooms and a growing resource library. The Program also increased its staff to provide services for its growing number of clients.

Over the past three years, the growth of the Teton Literacy Program has been dramatic. As the program continues to grow to meet the changing and expanding needs of the Teton County community, the Teton Literacy Program has introduced an intensive children’s reading clinic; parent reading workshops, one-on-one tutoring for Middle School students and a Latino family literacy project. The Teton Literacy Program served close to 500 adult and youth clients in 2003.