Adult Literacy Tutoring: One-on-one and small group tutoring helps support the ALBE instruction, and allows the learning centre to offer more comprehensive programming, as well as more individualized assistance to adult learners. Initially, the program hired a full-time literacy coordinator, who also served as a tutor, and two part-time tutors.

As the program matured, the tutors took on more responsibility. In the second year of the program, the Community Learning Centre accepted 22 ALBE students, an unprecedented number. Increased tutor support let staff move away from blanket, multi-level instruction and enabled them to follow the curricula for each ALBE level. The program could also accommodate higher-level ALBE students who wanted to remain in the community.

Now in its third year, the program is attempting to offer the same level of adult literacy services, but with significantly reduced funding and human resources. During this academic year (2003-2004), the program has 18 ALBE students, one part-time English and Computer Studies tutor and one part-time Math tutor. With some volunteer tutors and distance learning courses for ALBE 150-160 learners, the program is still able to offer separate classes for each ALBE 110-140 level and a certain amount of individual attention for learners.

Development of Local Tutors and Literacy Workers: From the outset, the program’s philosophy was to involve as many local people as possible to gain further community support and to ensure that the program would not collapse when one key person left. This strategy has worked well as it allows staff to see who is effective and in what capacity. The strategy also gives the program the ability to replace staff members who were not able to meet the standards it had set for its literacy workers and tutors, an unfortunate, but sometimes necessary, task.