The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office released a new brochure March 6 at a Study Technology seminar for D.C. community activists, officials and educators.

The literacy crisis in Washington, D.C., was the focus of concern to the community activists, officials and educators attending a seminar at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office March 6.

The crisis was summarized in the Washington Post March 8: nearly 20 percent of adults in the District of Columbia are functionally illiterate. Only four in 10 D.C. third graders are proficient in reading and nearly 40 percent of D.C. students fail to graduate from high school in four years. [washintonpost.com “Illiteracy is D.C.’s biggest challenge”]

The seminar at the Church’s National Affairs Office was entitled “The Key to Literacy—Learning How to Learn.” John Stanard, Social Betterment Secretary of the National Affairs Office, presented a simple program that can reverse these numbers, one person at a time. Stanard presented an overview of a technology of study that can overcome the barriers children and adults encounter when attempting to learn to read and write, and will also give them the ability learn any subject and apply what they have learned. This technology, known as Study Technology, or “Study Tech,” was researched and developed by American author, humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Stanard gave various simple examples of the basics of the subject, and invited those attending to return for a more comprehensive Study Technology workshop to be held in late March.

Stanard presented each attendee with a copy of the new brochure Scientology, How We Help: Applied Scholastics, Achieving Literacy and Education, one of a series of publications presented by the Church of Scientology International to meet requests for more information about the Scientology religion and its support of global humanitarian initiatives and social betterment programs. For more information, visit the Scientology website at www.scientology.org/AppliedScholastics. Located in the historic Fraser Mansion at Dupont Circle in northwest Washington, D.C., the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office houses an array of facilities for meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops and events to promote collaboration on solutions to society’s greatest challenges. Its establishment in September 2012 was necessitated by the Church’s unprecedented worldwide growth and commensurate demand for Church-sponsored programs.

Applied Scholastics International is a secular nonprofit public benefit corporation that addresses head-on the problem of illiteracy by making broadly available L. Ron Hubbard’s discoveries in the field of education and literacy.