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The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has quietly funded an education program for Atlantic City residents. Over the past two years, a $30,000 CRDA grant has helped 45 Atlantic City adults strengthen their reading, writing and English language skills — skills they can then apply to everyday tasks such as reading a lease or speaking with a doctor.
The grant, administered through the nonprofit Literacy New Jersey, funds free one-on-one tutoring for adults who live or work in the city. Since the partnership began in 2024, volunteer tutors have provided 1,310 hours of instruction, helping students achieve 50 personal and professional goals, including earning a driver’s license, filling out insurance forms, managing bank accounts and registering to vote.
The initiative reflects CRDA’s wider focus on using community investments to improve quality of life in Atlantic City.
Atlantic City casino revenue funds basic literacy
CRDA is best known for funneling gaming revenue from nine Atlantic City casinos into large-scale redevelopment projects across Atlantic City. This grant, however, targeted something more foundational: basic literacy.
The funding covered educational materials, instructional support and other resources needed to help adult learners build reading and writing skills from the ground up. Students worked one-on-one or in small groups with volunteer tutors trained by Literacy New Jersey, a statewide nonprofit that has offered free adult literacy services since 1979.
Literacy New Jersey currently operates in 12 counties statewide. In Atlantic City, the organization relies on a network of local partners that provide classroom space, promotional support, and other resources to keep the program running — including:
- Atlantic Cape Community College
- Oceanside Family Success Centers I and II
- Brighton Avenue School
- Chelsea Heights School
- Atlantic County Library System
Linda McAllister, Atlantic Cape program director for Literacy New Jersey, said the funding fills a critical gap for adults seeking educational support.
“CRDA’s support means we can put a trained tutor in front of every Atlantic City adult who wants to read to their child, pass a citizenship test or finally earn a GED,” McAllister said. “This funding turns a waiting list into an open door.”
Real students, real life-changing results
The program has already produced measurable results for several participants who used their improved literacy skills to pursue new opportunities.
Annabel, one of the learners supported through the grant, began volunteering as a Spanish teacher in Atlantic City. Mary, a Hard Rock student, said the English lessons improved her ability to communicate during her son’s medical appointments. The lessons, she said, helped her become “a better mother for my kids.”
Mark used the program’s support to earn his commercial driver’s license and later became an Atlantic City tram car driver on the Boardwalk.
Their stories show how adult education can help residents access jobs, pursue further schooling and manage everyday responsibilities with more confidence.
One grant in a larger community investment
As originally reported by NJ CRDA, Literacy New Jersey provides free adult literacy services across 12 counties and partners with several community organizations to improve accessibility.
The literacy grant is part of a broader slate of community investments the CRDA approved this year. In the first half of 2026, the authority approved nearly $1.8 million across 14 grants for programs spanning workforce development, food security, public art and adult education — funding drawn from Atlantic City casino gaming revenue.
CRDA’s support for Literacy New Jersey illustrates how targeted funding can address foundational educational needs while helping residents build stronger futures. That funding traces back to Atlantic City’s nine casinos, which under New Jersey law can reinvest a share of their gaming revenue through the CRDA rather than pay it as a straight tax to the state — a structure that channels casino dollars directly into programs like this one.
By expanding access to essential skills, the program continues to give Atlantic City adults tools that can improve both personal independence and career prospects, while showing how the city’s casino industry gives back to the community it calls home.
