Nursery school literacy class

Reverse reads: "Nursery School, Toledo." This is a photo of a group of children reading at a small table at a nursery school in Toledo, Ohio during a W.P.A. literacy class. On April 8, 1935, the United States Congress passed the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, which was hoped would allow Americans to cope with the Great Depression. Creation of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the most important accomplishment of this Act. This government office hired unemployed Americans to work on various government projects. During its existence, the WPA constructed more than 600, 000 miles of roads and built or repaired more than 124, 000 bridges, 125, 000 public buildings, 8, 000 parks, and 850 airport runways. The WPA also included programs to support education and the arts, providing employment opportunities for out of work educators and artists of all varieties. Although the United States Congress reduced funding for the program in 1939, the WPA remained in operation until June 30, 1943