Kimberley Improves Local Literacy

A grant of $70,000 from Literacy Now Communities helped the Kimberley literacy task group offer a variety of programs, including Play and Learn, drop-in sessions for parents with children aged 5 and under; Baby Goose Group, a free, drop-in program that uses singing and rhyming to help babies learn and gives parents information on infant development; One to One Reading, an in-school program where children in grades 1-5 read with trained volunteer tutors; and Cruise-In, a free after-school program to support middle-school students with homework and literacy skills.

Funds also supported Alphabet Soup, literacy and cooking classes for preschoolers and their parents; Roots of Empathy, an in-school parenting program for children to help develop empathy; Books for Babies that gives books and literacy information to families with a newborn; family and adult tutoring; and a Gently Used Book Drive.

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.