Funding designed to remove barriers to literacy

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This summer the Ministry of Colleges and Universities in Ontario, along with the National Literacy Secretariat have approved five projects for literacy improvement totaling $236,000.

After receiving more than 100 project proposals a committee comprised of individuals from both organizations decided to fund the five.

"All projects are treated individually and have to meet specific criteria," said Tom Vigeant, program officer for the National Literacy Secretariat.

The programs approved include: Helping Learners get in the Door /Articulating Their Skills to Employers ($24,000); Aboriginal Literacy Material Development ($100,000); Native Learning Styles ($42,000); Field Development Project Phase II ($20,000); and Practitioner Development Strategy Phase III ($50,000).

Each of these projects is still in the process of being completed by the individual organizations, as they just recently received the funding, explained Vigeant.

"We're just getting started with the hiring of contractors to design the workshop," said Cindy Davidson, executive director at QUILL Learning Network in mid-western Ontario, which will be hosting the project titled Helping Learners get in the Door/Articulating Their Skills to Employers.

"It will be a one-day workshop for adults who have literacy barriers," said Davidson. "We will show them how to articulate their skills in resumes and cover letters."

The workshop will also show individuals various ideas of how to build a portfolio and answer any other questions they may have in regards to job interview preparation, added Davidson.

According to Davidson, when the project is completed - in March 2003 - there will be some guidelines as to who will be eligible to register for the course.

"They (those interested in registering) would have to be enrolled in a basic skills or literacy program," she said.

The Aboriginal Literacy Material Development 2002-2003 project is being completed by the Nigwakwe Learning Press.

Nigwakwe will be developing and publishing Aboriginal literacy materials including a family Read-With-Me book, two additional volumes of the Healthy Lifestyle Series will be published that will focus on health issues in Aboriginal communities.

In addition to this project, Ningwakwe will be working with the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition to produce a two-day workshop on Native literacy learning styles.

The remaining two projects will be completed by the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition where they will be researching various recommendations for field development, as well as providing training to qualify Native Literacy practitioners as instructors for a variety of topics relating to Aboriginal lifestyles.

All of the five projects have one goal in mind, which is to increase literacy skills in Aboriginal people within the province.

"The goal of the government of Canada (through promoting literacy and providing support) is to provide Canadians with the ability to participate in today's knowledge based economy," said Lise Labonte, program manager for the National Literacy Secretariat.