An investment of $2.4 million by the provincial government is helping adult learners around the province improve their reading and writing skills by providing them with the help they need in their home communities.

The Community Adult Literacy Program (CALP) will support literacy projects in 90 communities around British Columbia in 2013-14, including in Cranbrook, Creston, Fernie, Golden, Invermere, Kimberley, and Windermere through College of the Rockies/Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy.

Projects receive up to $40,000 each to provide instruction and support to adult learners in everything from basic literacy to high-school completion.

“Strong reading and writing skills are the starting point for many adults looking to upgrade their education and get a job with a good paycheque in their back pocket,” said Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk. “This year alone the Community Adult Literacy Program will benefit more than 9,000 adult learners, helping them gain the skills and confidence they need to pursue their ambitions.”

CALP projects focus on the individual goals of adults, such as improving their literacy and numeracy skills to enhance the quality of their lives, improve their job prospects, further their education and skills training, strengthen their families and increase their involvement in their communities.

CALP projects are offered in a variety of settings such as schools, non-profit organizations and native friendship and community centres.

Most projects have trained volunteers who offer one-to-one tutoring and small group classes which are tailored to meet the literacy and numeracy needs of young parents, Aboriginal learners, and other adults in the community.

“Hundreds of people in the Nanaimo and Ladysmith regions receive critical one-to-one literacy tutoring each year through CALP grants,” said Rebecca Kirk, chief executive officer of Literacy Central Vancouver Island. “We leverage the grants through partnerships with Vancouver Island University, community agencies and over one hundred trained volunteers to provide quality, learner focused, tutoring to adult learners.”

Community groups collaborate with a public post-secondary institution in their region to deliver literacy training, encouraging transitions from community-based programs to post-secondary studies.

Since 2001, the government of B.C. has invested more than $23 million in CALP, helping more than 84,000 adults improve their reading and writing skills.

Adult literacy and the Community Adult Literacy Program:

https://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/literacy/welcome.htm

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