New Westminster Improves Local Literacy

The New Westminster literacy task group received $70,000 from Literacy Now Communities. Funds supported a plain language workshop; a workshop to help seniors increase technological literacy; Parents As Literacy Supporters (PALS) at New Westminster Family Place; Family Book Share at the Hospitality Project, a church-based resource and referral service; Fraserside Family Services; Elizabeth Fry Society; Aboriginal Kindergarten Readiness Session; Literacy Now Update Newsletter and Douglas College Nursing Student Literacy Lecture. In addition, I-Care Douglas College and Family Services will provide tutoring and childcare at Olivet Baptist Church.

Funds also support an Educate and Collaborate series that helps service providers learn from each other; an Aboriginal Early Child Literacy project; and developing a single Community Literacy Plan that incorporates plans from the School District, the Early Childhood Development community, Public Library and the Literacy Now New Westminster committee.

Literacy Now Communities guides communities through a planning process to identify and address local literacy needs. The program focuses on building partnerships, networking and sharing best practices within BC's communities and regions. There are currently 96 task groups throughout BC working to improve local literacy. Literacy Now Communities is supported by the Province of British Columbia.