Literacy Supports Boosted For British Columbians

The province is freeing up money to expand community-based literacy programs to  help people of all ages learn new skills and communicate with confidence.

“As a teacher and a lifelong learner, I understand the value and the importance of literacy skills in our daily lives,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs.

“Learning to read and write extends far beyond the classroom. Literacy can help open doors to greater opportunity and a better understanding of the world. By making this investment in community literacy, my ministry is helping people access more resources and learning opportunities where they live.”

Stats show approximately 45% of British Columbians between 16 and 65 may have difficulty understanding newspapers, following instruction manuals, reading health information, and performing other daily living tasks.

The Province is partnering with Decoda Literacy Solutions, a non-profit organization, to support community-based literacy programs and initiatives by providing resources and training in more than 400 communities.

In addition to ongoing annual funding, the Province has provided a one-time boost of $1 million to Decoda to support the expansion of community programs, as well as more robust professional development for literacy outreach coordinators and tutors to support more learners.

Formed in 2011, Decoda Literacy Solutions has 100 literacy outreach coordinators, who work with local community literacy task groups.

Task groups are made up of representatives from various community organizations, including libraries, family-resource programs, employment agencies, the business community, the K-12 school system and literacy organizations.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.