The Literacy Development Council was formed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in June, 1994. The Council is registered as a charity and a provincial corporation.

The role of the Council is to assess and respond to literacy needs identified by community committees, local organizations private citizens or other groups.

The Council will co-ordinate literacy activities throughout the province, encourage co-operation and assist with partnerships amongst the various agencies. The Council also works to ensure that quality programming and services are provided.

Education Minister Chris Decker has appointed a nineteen-member Board to work with the Council. The fifteen original appointees include Dr. Ronald Sparkes (Interim Chairperson), Carol Ann Farrell, Father Desmond McGrath, Anne Making, Fred Andrews, Kevin Manuel, Patrick Daniels, Donna Stokes, Jim Forward, Patrick McCormick, Dr. Stephen Norris, Anthony Brait, Susan Patten, Harry Connors and Loretta Ryan. Ms. Ryan has since resigned for personal reasons. Clane Moss is the most recent appointee. The non-voting members include Dr. Frank Marsh, Wayne Green, Sue Smee and the Executive Director. The board has met three times since its formation.

Wayne Taylor, former Director of the Literacy Policy Office, has been seconded from the Department of Education and Training to serve as Executive Director of the Council. The Director of Programs and Services for the Council is Don McDonald. Mr. McDonald has been seconded from the Central Newfoundland Regional College. The Council has offices at 238 Blackmarsh Road in St. John’s and 5 Bayley Street in Grand Falls-Windsor.

The Council has contracted Dr. William Fagan to develop a Tutor Training and Certification Program. Clyde Johnson is employed to work on a TAGS Co-ordination Project in central Newfoundland. The Council is developing a mission statement, policy guidelines for funding projects, an information brochure and a provincial strategic plan for literacy.

The Council has been involved with a project of the Canadian Association of Optometrists, the Neil Squire Foundation and the National Literacy Secretariat. It is also working with Digital Equipment of Canada to establish Five Speech Assisted Reading and Writing (SARAW) centres throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Proceeds from the Peter Gzowski Invitational (PGI) Golf Tournament for Literacy are being donated to the Council. The PGI committee contributed $25,000 in 1994 and will make another donation this year. The money will be used to publish First-Time Readers.

This newspaper, while intended for beginning readers, will be of interest to many people. It will feature local and provincial news, student writings and literacy information. Publication of First-Time Readers has been contracted to the Central Newfoundland Regional College. The paper is over-seen by a provincial editorial board.

The Literacy Development Council is pleased to be working with PGI in publishing First-Time Readers.