Literacy is fundamental for people to cultivate opportunities, develop confidence, and increase productivity by enhancing personal, family and community life. It’s never too late to learn.
The Community Adult Literacy Program (CALP) helps adults improve their reading, writing and numeracy. It provides resources for community based programs that meet the needs of adults who want to improve their literacy levels for personal, employment, and educational reasons. CALP provides funding towards not-for-profit community groups to offer free literacy training projects. These projects are designed to suit the needs of Aboriginal learners, young parents and other adults, and are delivered by trained volunteers though one-to-one tutoring or small group classes.
Each community organization that delivers a CALP project partners with a public post-secondary institution in their region such as the Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy Society partnering with Thompson Rivers University.
These community-based literacy partnerships help adult learners gain confidence and build the learning foundation they need to follow their dreams, pursue advanced education, and take their place in the skilled workforce of today and the future. We are committed to ensuring adults in B.C. have the adult education opportunities needed to fulfill their educational, employment and life goals. This year approximately $2.4 million is being distributed towards 83 CALP projects in communities throughout B.C. It is expected 9,000 adult learners will be helped through the projects.
By improving reading and writing skills, adult learners gain access to a whole new world of possibilities, skills and experience, and support in finding rewarding careers.
Literacy is a catalyst for opportunity and opens doors and I hope you join me in offering support and encouragement to all who wish to improve their literacy skills. Literacy is a gift that everyone, no matter what their age, should have the opportunity to possess.
Donna Barnett is the Liberal MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin.
