A program that helps adults improve their literacy skills is one of 72 projects that has received funding from the provincial government.
Community Adult Literacy and Learning (CALL) program, run by Powell River Employment Program (PREP) Society, has received $33,500 from the ministry of advanced education, under the ministry’s community adult literacy program.
Margaret Leitner, executive administrator of PREP, said the society learned it was receiving funding in October. She said that this year the society received an increase in funding for the program, which is in its third year. The grant is given in partnership with a post-secondary institution and PREP’s partner is Vancouver Island University.
CALL runs from September to June. Tutors are trained in a couple of training sessions during the year, then are matched with individual learners. The tutor-learner pairs meet at their own convenience, Leitner explained. Deb Calderon, coordinator of the program, tracks the progress learners are making. “We have to report back to the ministry how the learners are progressing,” Leitner said. “Initially, the learners go through an assessment to find out their level of literacy and figure out where they need to have some tutoring and improvement. We take it from there.”
Nadine Shelton, a learner in the program, was one of 13 Canadians, and the only one from British Columbia, to receive a 2011 Canada Post Community Literacy Award. “We’re proven successful,” said Leitner.
The ministry provided a total of $2.4 million for the 72 projects in 2011-2012. “Our investment in these literacy projects is helping adults all over the province gain confidence and building the learning foundation they need to pursue advanced education, get jobs and take their place in the skilled workforce of today and the future,” said Naomi Yamamoto, minister of advanced education.
