Introduction
The field of social work practice for this review serves a population of low income communities without a High School Diploma. The Harlem Commonwealth Council, one organization offering such services and interventions, is intent on transforming the lives of people in the population described above by equipping them with instruments and resources meant to strengthen the community. The types of interventions it focuses on include solutions for entrepreneurship, adult literacy, youth development, and even scholarships. Yet, the specific types of interventions meant for low-income adults to achieve their GED include scholarships and adult literacy services (basic education). The organization is proud of its success and displays on its website that it served over 2,700 individuals last year. While there are no specific figures for low income adults without a high school diploma, the programs and solutions that make part of the organization’s intervention seem promising for this population. One element of their mission is to stimulate economic development through the education of residents and to improve literacy levels. The effectiveness of such interventions has been extensively researched in the past. Yet, there is still a huge gap in studies dealing specifically with helping low-income adults achieve their GED, as will be seen in the literature review section of this paper.