GREENFIELD — Sixty-two-year-old Tammy Baxter never received her high school diploma. With help from The Literacy Project, though, the Turners Falls resident is seeking to finish what she started.

Baxter enrolled at The Literacy Project, a nonprofit that helps individuals ages 16 and older advance their reading and writing skills to achieve their high school equivalency exams (HiSET), with a goal of eventually passing the HiSET and enrolling at Greenfield Community College.

“I made it to 12th grade when I was much younger and it’s on my bucket list to get my GED,” said Baxter, who was at The Literacy Project’s Greenfield office on Tuesday taking a class taught by Jesse Pompei. “My goal is to be have my GED by May 25, my birthday.”

Stories like Baxter’s have been made possible with help from instructors at The Literacy Project for the past 40 years. To mark its anniversary, the nonprofit will hold a celebration on Friday, April 4.

“[The Literacy Project] has helped me immensely,” Baxter said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in school, but I’m understanding formulas and stuff I’ve never even heard of before. I’m always happy when I come here.

“All my three kids have graduated, and they have careers and everything,” she added. “Now it’s momma’s time.”

Lindy Whiton, Jim Vaughan and Phil Rabinowitz founded The Literacy Project in 1984 after Greenfield Community College hired Whiton, a trained reading specialist, using grant funding to teach adults reading. When the grant expired, Vaughan and Whiton formed the nonprofit and recruited Rabinowitz.

Today, The Literacy Project offers classes in basic literacy, high school equivalency, and college and career readiness in Greenfield, Orange, Northampton, Amherst and Ware. Executive Director Colleen Kucinski referred to the anniversary as an “amazing milestone” given the nonprofit’s relatively small size.

“We’ve been doing this work for a really long time, you know, helping folks who don’t have a high school diploma get that equivalency if that’s what they choose, but some folks may be coming to us to improve their literacy skills in reading, writing, math and computer skills through our classes,” Kucinski said. “They may need those skills to go out into the world of work and get a job, or they want to do it for personal growth. … There’s a variety of reasons why folks might come here, all of them really focus on transforming their lives to further their dreams and to try to accomplish the ones that they had already set for themselves.”

Discussing the nonprofit’s future, Kucinski speculated on the freezing of federal funds and dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. She said the nonprofit, which benefits significantly from federal grants, could be impacted a “great deal” by the changes.

“We also receive funding from other federal sources as well, such as the SNAP Education and Training program,” Kucinski said. “Should anything happen with that, that could also impact our funding as well. Like every other nonprofit, funding is uncertain at this time. We just simply have no idea, but it certainly could impact us a great deal.”

Kucinski took the helm of the nonprofit following former Executive Director Judith Roberts’ retirement in early 2023. Roberts, who led The Literacy Project for 17 years, said she felt honored to serve at the nonprofit for so long, referring to it as a “tremendous organization” that provides access to education and changes lives for the better.

“I met a lot of brave and strong people at The Literacy Project and connected to The Literacy Project, but particularly our courageous students and very dedicated, I would even say loving, staff,” Roberts said. “It was an honor and a privilege for me to lead The Literacy Project for 17 years, and I feel very fortunate that I had that opportunity. … I feel it’s in very good hands.”

The Literacy Project will host its 40th anniversary celebration from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4, at Progression Brewing Co. in Northampton. The evening will feature raffles, food, dancing and live music by Carol Devine & The Mighty Fine.

The event is free, but space is limited, so registration is required. Visit literacyproject.org to register.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.