About Us
About AES Literacy Institute
AES Literacy Institute creates clear pathways to education, credentials, and economic opportunity for individuals who have historically been left out of traditional systems.
We believe people don’t lack potential; they lack access. Our work is focused on closing that gap through practical learning, industry-recognized credentials, and programs that lead to real outcomes, not just inspiration.
AES Literacy Institute empowers historically marginalized communities with the education, career training, and financial literacy needed to break barriers and build generational wealth. By increasing access to knowledge and opportunity, we create pathways to lasting self-sufficiency and stronger communities.
Our Story
AES Literacy Institute is a minority-led education and workforce organization committed to helping individuals build skills that translate into opportunity.
We design award winning programs that combine education, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship to support youth and adults at different stages of life. Our approach centers on access, clarity, and accountability, making it easier for people to move forward with confidence.
Our programs are delivered in partnership with schools, community organizations, and workforce partners to ensure learning is relevant, accessible, and connected to real-world pathways.
We envision a future where historically marginalized communities are no longer navigating systems they were never taught to understand or designed to access.
AES Literacy Institute exists to make education, financial literacy, credentials, and entrepreneurship tools of power rather than barriers; equipping individuals to understand the rules, claim opportunity, and build economic stability and generational wealth on their own terms.
In this future, people are not waiting to be chosen, approved, or rescued; they are informed, credentialed, financially capable, and positioned to move forward with confidence and control.
Respect Comes First
We treat every individual with respect and dignity.
No judgment, no talking down, no assumptions about where someone comes from or what they’ve been through. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.
Truth, Support, & Accountability
We know trust doesn’t come easy. We believe honesty builds trust. Many people have been misled or taken advantage of before.
We support people, but we don’t sugarcoat the work. We set clear expectations and provide guidance along the way, because growth happens when support and responsibility go together.
We are clear about what our programs do, what they don’t do, and what is required to succeed. No hidden expectations. No surprises.
We Move With Purpose
We don’t do busy work. Everything we teach connects to a real outcome; education, credentials, career growth, business readiness, and stronger financial decisions. We move with intention because our time and our futures matter.
Access Shouldn’t Be Complicated
Opportunity shouldn’t feel confusing or out of reach.
We work to make education, financial literacy, credentials, and career pathways clear, understandable, and accessible.
Each One Teach One
What we learn, we pass on. We believe knowledge is not meant to be held; it’s meant to be shared. When one person levels up, they bring somebody with them, and that is how communities rise.
Confidence Is Built
Confidence doesn’t come from talking; it comes from doing.
We build confidence through structure, repetition, real skills, and real wins. We don’t just motivate people; we help them prove to themselves what they can do.
Resilient and Relentless
We don’t fold when it gets hard. We keep showing up, keep learning, keep adjusting, and keep moving. Our community has survived too much to quit when we get close.
We don’t treat setbacks like stop signs. We learn fast, we rework the plan, and we keep going until the goal is met. We believe progress is earned through persistence, not perfection.
AES Literacy Institute was founded by Jermaine and ShaKimberly Cooper, a husband-and-wife team known for their energy, persistence, and deep connection to the communities they serve. Both founders come from the same social and economic challenges faced by many of the individuals who walk through AES programs. Their work is shaped not by theory, but by lived experience; navigating education systems, learning financial lessons the hard way, building businesses from the ground up, and figuring things out when there was no roadmap.
Jermaine Cooper
Jermaine Cooper is the visionary behind AES Literacy Institute and the heartbeat of its connection to the community. Deeply rooted in grassroots work, Jermaine has a natural ability to meet people where they are, build trust, and see potential long before others do. His work is shaped by real-life experience; navigating systems without a roadmap, learning through trial and error, and staying connected to the streets, the neighborhoods, and the voices often overlooked.
Jermaine leads with instinct, creativity, and an unshakable belief that failure is not an option. He sees what’s possible before it exists and pushes ideas forward with passion, urgency, and relentless energy. His strength lies in vision, relationship-building, and keeping AES grounded in the realities of the community it serves.
ShaKimberly Cooper
Where ideas meet execution, ShaKimberly Cooper is the architect who brings the vision to life. She leads the systems, strategy, compliance, and operational backbone of AES Literacy Institute; ensuring that every idea has a plan, every program has a framework, and every detail is handled with intention.
Known for her precision, discipline, and follow-through, ShaKimberly transforms big dreams into organized, sustainable realities. She manages the paperwork, logistics, processes, and long-term strategy that allow AES to function, scale, and remain accountable.
Her leadership ensures that nothing is left to chance and that the mission is not just inspiring, but operational, credible, and built to last.
AES Literacy Institute serves individuals who are ready to move forward but may not have had clear access, guidance, or opportunity in traditional systems. Our programs are designed for youth and adults at different stages of their journey, including:
Individuals seeking a high school equivalency or re-entry into education
Youth preparing for college, careers, or entrepreneurship
Aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs building skills and credentials
Adults working to strengthen workforce readiness or advance professionally
Individuals navigating financial literacy and credit-related challenges
Community members seeking clearer pathways to economic mobility
We believe effective programs are built on structure, relevance, and trust. Our approach includes:
Credential-aligned instruction tied to industry standards
Cohort-based learning that builds accountability and support
Practical application through real-world scenarios
Flexible delivery models that respect real schedules and responsibilities
How We Bring About Change
We design pathways that lead to real progress; credentials earned, skills applied, confidence built, and clearer next steps toward economic stability. Our work connects education, financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship in ways that are practical, measurable, and rooted in real life.
Impact, for us, means people leave better equipped than when they arrived, with tools they can use immediately and pathways they can continue to build on.
Our programs are designed to lead to measurable progress, not just participation. Through AES pathways, participants work toward:
Industry-Recognized Credentials
Participants work toward credentials that carry weight beyond the classroom, including the Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) Certification and other recognized credentials that support workforce and business readiness.
Practical Skill Development
Participants build real-world skills related to professional readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial understanding that can be applied immediately in work, business, and daily decision-making.
Increased Confidence and Clarity
Through structured learning and clear expectations, participants gain confidence in navigating education, career, business, and financial systems; replacing uncertainty with informed action.
Pathways to Economic Opportunity
AES programs support forward movement; whether entering the workforce, advancing in a career, strengthening financial stability, or building toward business ownership and long-term economic mobility.
Lives Impacted
GED Graduates
Integrated Pathways Under One Mission
Annual Earnings Boost
College & Career Placements
Active Community & Workforce Partners
Partner With AES Literacy Institute
We work alongside schools, nonprofits, workforce agencies, employers, and community organizations to expand access to education, credentials, and economic opportunity.
Our partnerships are built on shared goals, clear roles, and measurable outcomes; whether hosting programs, supporting credential pathways, or collaborating on workforce and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Support Our Work
Your support helps expand access to education, credentials, and financial literacy for individuals who have historically been left out of traditional systems.
Donations directly support program delivery, credential access, and the resources needed to create real, measurable outcomes for youth and adults. Every contribution helps sustain and grow pathways that lead to long-term opportunity.
Life isn’t fair. Many of us are dealt hands we didn’t choose. But with the right support, knowledge, and determination, it’s still possible to change the outcome.
