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Newfoundland & Labrador Laubach Literacy Council Newsletter

The President's Corner

NLLLC President Monnie Moores

Hi Everyone,

Well, summer has come and gone by so quickly. Fall is now upon us and we have to settle down to a routine that is usually busy for the majority of us.

I'd like to welcome our Executive Director, Melanie Callahan back to work. She has been off on maternity leave for the last year and is now the proud mom of a beautiful little girl. We also have to say thank you and farewell to Dawn Chaffey filled in for Melanie.

It is with great pleasure that we recognize and congratulate all our tutors and volunteers for all their hard work. Our Annual General Meeting and Conference is coming up in November. This is an opportunity to acknowledge the many contributions made by men and women who make up our Laubach Councils. These councils are of great benefit to our students whose lives are improved through involvement in Laubach literacy programs.

Keep up the good work. See you in Corner Brook in November at the "Building Our Strengths". AGM and Conference.

All the best

Monnie

Federal Government Cuts

As most of you know, on September 26, the federal government has essentially wiped out all funding for community-based literacy work in this province. This means that adult literacy grassroots program like NLLLC will receive no funding from the federal government to carry out its program in 2006-2007, and into the future.

In recent years, the National Literacy Secretariat (the past federal government agency) has made available about $648,000 for local/provincial literacy projects in this province. NLLLC currently receives about half the money needed from the provincial Department of Education with the remainder coming from the Government of Canada. This money pays for, among other things, the Executive Director position, the purchase of adult literacy materials and supplies, the publication of this newsletter, the provincial office, Annual General Meeting financing, travel and some tutor training. The provincial government are still working to determine how, or if, it will be able to provide funding to NLLLC in the future.

The NLLLC board will meet to discuss the impact of this funding cut. The future is certainly unclear, but it is known that things will not continue as they have for the past 20 years.

Our support is needed in fighting this devastating blow. Write your MPs, MHAs and senators. Circulate petitions. Talk to the media. Together, let's raise our voices in opposition to this funding cut.

Summer Reading for Fun

A participant at the Bonavista site fishes for words.

Thanks to the efforts of a group of dedicated volunteers, nearly 200 students in this province received one-on-one tutoring during the summer as part of the Summer Reading for Fun program.

With funding from Service Development Canada, 19 students were hired in nine sites province-wide. All tutors were trained using funding from the Cygnus Foundation. Volunteers oversaw the programs; resources and space to host the program was donated by community groups.

Tutors were innovative and creative in delivering their programs and weekly group activities. Once again, parents raved about the program and most students showed progress over the summer months!