Della:

Right now there are two employees working out of our office myself as Director and Marian White as the assistant. The Council itself is made up of thirteen board members and they are from all over the province. They have many different types of backgrounds, some of them are form the business community, some form the labour movement, others form literacy organizations and the community at large. As employees, we take direction for Council members.

Della:

When I finished my studies at university I started doing some work at the Froude Avenue Community Centre where I helped with an after-school tutoring program. Shortly afterward I was fortunate to get a position with the Fogo Island Literacy Association where I worked as co-ordinator I rally enjoyed this position and stayed there or three years before coming back to St. John's to return to school. I remained interested in literacy while attending school and continued doing some work in the field. It can be a very challenging area, but the rewards are great.

Della:

Absolutely! As a literacy organization the Rabbittown Learners Program is an example of exactly what the Council aims to support in the community. One of the things the Council does in addition to providing information and resources is the awarding of project grants to various literacy organizations on behalf of the provincial government. We award approximately $300,000 each year in the form of grants to different groups around the province. These funds help organizations provide literacy services and meet the literacy needs of their area.

Della:

That's an interesting question and there are a couple of ways to answer it. My belief is that we need not refer to it as and exact statistic. When we reduce to issue to a simple number we can lose sight of the bigger picture. However the illiteracy rate in Newfoundland and Labrador is certainly higher that we would like it to be we doe have a higher rate than most other provinces, so it is a concern. On a positive note, there has been quite a bit of improvement in literacy awareness in recent years and there has been a lot of good work carried out in the province. One of the tasks of Council is to support groups that promote literacy.

Della:

When I think of literacy a couple of words come to mind. Perhaps the most important of these words is "freedom". When people are literate, many doors are open to them. In the same way when people have access to the programs and services needed to improve their reading, writing and numeracy skills there are increased opportunities in almost all areas of their lives.

Literacy means having access to higher education better employment better health and personal choice. When you have the skills and confidence to work with written material, you are better able to deal with challenges at work, at home and in your community.

Della:

The Council aims to address the literacy needs of the province and to promote literacy in all aspects of society. In doing so the Council has a role to play in supporting adult literacy programs like Rabbittown, as well as various family literacy projects and activities. It also supports school based activities (such as Read Ins) and a wide variety of literacy awareness activities. My role as Director is to ensure that the mandate of Council is met. I plan to work with literacy stakeholders and support their efforts. I hope that by working effectively with individuals and organizations we can together make a difference in the field of literacy as a whole.

It seems like you have a lot of interest in what you want to do. You help people feel better about themselves. The literacy program is very complimentary to us as learners. We came here to start the basics and move on from there. The program is a great help.

Della:

I'm rally glad we had a chance to do this, this is what it is all about! I thank you for the opportunity to share some information about the Council. Should anyone in the province what more information about the Council and its services, please feel free to call our toll free number at 1-800-563-1111. Marian and I would be glad to be of assistance.