Worksheet C

Mapping the Community

You'll need a large piece of paper (flip chart paper works well), blue, red, and black markers, a local telephone book, a local newspaper, and a community services directory (if available) for this exercise.

1. Draw the borders of your community on the piece of paper.
2. Identify the agencies, schools, community groups, contract services, etc. that interact with families on a regular basis. Use your own knowledge of your community and whatever resources are available. For example, many telephone books have a "Community Services" section. Also check newspaper stories for references to agencies and groups, or check the "Upcoming Events" column. Add any existing services that you identified in Worksheet A. Plot these groups on your map in red.
3. Next, identify organizations or services that could possibly meet the agency needs you identified in Worksheet B. Plot these on your map in blue.
4. Consider the type of family literacy program that you think might be appropriate for your community. Who are your potential clients? Who do you want to participate in the program? Where in this map of your community are you likely to find them? (Drop-in centres, Adult Basic Education classes, doctors' offices, etc.) Mark these on your map in black.
5. Using the local phone book, find and list the telephone numbers to match the groups you've identified in the previous steps. If possible, list key names to contact within each group.

This exercise was described in a session delivered by Dr. Ruth Nickse at the Roots of Literacy Symposium in Brooks in 1992, and was later adapted by Kathy Day of Pincher Creek.