DeKalb’s non-English-speaking students can learn about literacy and job readiness at the “PHLOTES to the Top” community fair on Sept. 10 in Clarkston.

The 6 p.m.-8 p.m. program takes place at Clarkston High School, 618 North Indian Creek Drive.

PHLOTES to the Top is a collaborative initiative of the DeKalb County Higher Education Advisory Council, a consortium of higher learning institutions. PHLOTES stands for Primary Home Language Is Other Than English Students.

DeKalb has nearly 17,000 English-as-a-second-language students, many of whom qualify for language support services.

The PHLOTES to the Top program extends the school day for targeted k-12 students to increase accessibility to educational, social, and work force services for them and their families. Assistance in areas of transportation, housing and social services will be addressed early next year.

The PHLOTES to the Top community resource fair coincides with September being recognized as Workforce Development Month and the week of Sept. 10 is National Literacy Week.

While the program is now focused on the Clarkston High School area, which is home to a large percentage of the county’s immigrant population and refugees, it will be expanded in the future to additional high school clusters.

For more information, call 678-676-5302.