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June/July 2017 • Local Business News, activities and events
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Action Read: 30 years of people helping people! by Mira Clarke, Executive Director, Action Read
“Action Read is filling a big gap in the community. It is building a foundation.” ~Tutor
1 lyon avenue, guelph 519.766.0001
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In 2017 Action Read celebrates 30 years of creating a better life for adults and families through improved literacy, numeracy and essential skills.What started as a single project to address an under-the-radar problem has grown into a multifaceted and dynamic organization that continues to meet a diverse range of essential skill needs. In 1987 we served approximately 50 learners–in 2016 we served 195 adult learners and 250 families. Action Read began as a project of the now defunct Centre for Employable Workers in response to a service gap in the community. Throughout the 1980s, Canadians were becoming increasingly aware of the literacy challenges experienced by a significant number of people in society. Action Read set out to fill this gap by pairing individuals who wanted help with trained community volunteers. From there, small group learning, family literacy and computer based programs quickly emerged. In 1991 Action Read became an independent charity. Throughout our 30 year history, Action Read has worked with hundreds of dedicated volunteers who have quietly and steadfastly built up the skills of adults with literacy challenges. We have liaised with countless community experts to provide a wide range of educational workshops and supports. Thanks to their support and that of our amazing funders, our programs and services remain completely free of charge. In short, Action Read is a quintessential “community” organization. Here are a few milestones from Action Read’s 30 year history: • 1987 Launch of One-to-one Tutoring and Small Group Learning programs. • 1992 Action Read publishes books written by newly literate adults and by literacy researchers. • 1996 Action Read hosts its first all-candidates meeting in order to ensure that learners have the opportunity to participate in civil matters. These meetings are held in every election since. • 2002 Action Read is one of the first adult literacy agencies in Ontario to implement adaptive and assistive technologies in our programs.
GAR facilitator Gabe Smith celebrating the success of our Youth Job Connect learners. (supplied photo) • The City of Guelph awards Action Read an ‘Access Recognition Award’ for its efforts to make the community accessible for all citizens. • 2003 Action Read launches a practise firm (‘The Snack Stand’) to help learners get the skills to run their own business. • 2007 Our literacy learners recite Shakespeare outdoors at the 'Made in Canada' festival. • 2008 Action Read joins Employment Ontario–Ontario’s employment and training network. • Action Read responds to the 2008 recession by offering the Employment Track Express mobile computer program to teach basic computer and literacy skills for employment. • 2009 ‘Healthy Living’ programs are launched to support literacy development and healthy living goals. • 2012 Financial literacy projects are offered in partnership with local financial institutes. • 2014 Cash Register Training, Receptionist Training, Numeracy at Work programs are launched. • 2017 Action Read moves to 8 Cork Street East in downtown Guelph. In Ontario today, approximately 21% of people have literacy challenges that present an obstacle to their daily lives, while approximately 5% have extremely limited word reading ability–what the public might consider “illiterate” (Essential Skills Ontario). A big part of what we do at Action Read is to help learners to feel positive and hopeful about themselves and their lives. We break learning down into small steps. We make learning relevant to
other issues in the lives of adults and families, be they employment, health, housing or finances. We make learning practical and immediately applicable. Ultimately, adults must see for themselves the personal payoff of learning. As these testimonials show, Action Read is successful in this goal:
“Before I came, I did not know how to read because I could not pronounce the words. But now I am going to the library and my reading is awesome! Without Action Read, I would have given up on reading and writing.” ~Tracey “Learning to read and write has helped me to take care of myself better, and also my family and two daughters.” ~ Elijah “I look at the world differently now that I can read and understand things better. It helps me understand my medication. I am much more confident now.” ~Maria “Since coming to Action Read I have gained many new skills. My vocabulary has improved, which makes it easier to alk to people and understand the world around me. My reading and spelling have also improved, giving me greater confidence at work.” ~ Dev “They are a big help in getting me through my challenges, both in learning and life. Coming to Action Read, I feel able to do more and it gives me hope for my future.” ~Mary
Action Read has come a long way in the past 30 years. While many changes have occurred at Action Read since 1987, we remain a community-based agency committed to learner-centred, practical, compassionate and accessible programming–the values that propelled us forward from the beginning. We are extremely proud of the tenacity, courage and wisdom of our learners. And we couldn’t have made it this far without a generous community that believes in the potential of all its members. www.actionread.com
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