You’re never too old to learn.
That’s why the B.C. government is doling out $2.4 million to 94 community adult literacy programs across the province.
Some of the money is going to programs through North Island College and the Powell River Employment Program Society.
NIC programs benefiting in the Comox Valley and Campbell River include:
- Adult Literacy Program – Campbell River Community Literacy Association
- Family Learning Program – Campbell River Community Literacy Association
- Indigenous Learning and Skills Program, Homalco Nation – Campbell River Community Literacy Association
- Comox Valley Adult Literacy Program – Comox Valley Community Adult Literacy and Learning Society (Courtenay)
- Comox Valley Family Literacy Program – Comox Valley Community Adult Literacy and Learning Society (Courtenay)
Programs receiving the funding are run by 69 service providers across the province.
Grants of up to $30,000 per program are awarded to community adult literacy organizations.
These help B.C. residents develop stronger reading, writing and math skills.
Most programs offer one-on-one tutoring or small-group classes delivered by trained volunteers and are delivered in a variety of settings, such as schools, non-profit organizations and Indigenous friendship and community centres.
More than 700,000 adults in B.C. have significant literacy challenges.
As well, 45 percent of adults in the province have some difficulty with daily living tasks due to limited literacy skills.
Literacy challenges can include difficulty understanding newspapers, reading health information and following instruction manuals.
A total of 52 percent of adults in B.C. have trouble accomplishing some daily living tasks due to limited numeracy skills.
Numeracy challenges can include difficulty calculating interest on a car loan, using information on a graph or calculating medicine dosage.
