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18 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 27, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 27, 2007 - 31 Ato A is for Accountant Z United Way agency Ato F is for Kevin Flynn y B is for Best Children's Play & Music y ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ C is for Coming Home g Sales Representative i f Di is for Discounts at tt Dedicated to Superior Service & Preferred Pricing E is for Education G is for Grabbit Transit Media Z Bradley Harvey Chartered Accountant 905-629-3743 I support the great work of the Oakville Literacy Council, Congratulations on 20 years of serving the community. · Children's Program · Indoor Play Centre www.gymboree.com gymboree484@rogers.com MacLachlan College is proud to support Oakville Literacy Council 337 Trafalgar Road Oakville ON, L6J 3H3 Constituency Office 2330 Lakeshore Road W., Unit 2, Oakville. S.E. Corner of Lakeshore Rd. and Nelson St. in Bronte. Town Centre Realty Inc., Brokerage 280 N Service Road W, Oakville ON L6M 2S2 direct office fax e-mail 905.339.8707 905.338.6550 905.829.8933 alexx@alexx.ca 10% OFF 905-844-8539 Kevin Flynn M.P.P. Oakville 905-844-0372 www.maclachlan.ca registrar@maclachlan.on.ca phone: 905-827-5141 fax: 905-827-3786 : kflynn.mpp.co@ liberal.ola.org Call 905-542-7529 I is for Ignition Design+Communications g g DESIGN + COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN + COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN + COMMUNICATIONS Thank you OLC f y for strengthening our community K is for Michael Klinck HOPEDALE MALL 3rd Line & Rebecca · 905-827-0229 www.hopedalemall.on.ca H is for Hopedale Mall p January 27 is Family Literacy Day Local group celebrates 20 years of changing lives through improved literacy Did you read the instructions for a medical prescription today, or follow baking directions, or write an email? Can you imagine not being able to read or write well enough to do the things most people do everyday? According to the Oakville Literacy Council, up to 3,000 people in Oakville face this incredible barrier, but don't have to. "People don't have to struggle with this challenge that restricts their quality of life," said Bernie Martenson, President of the Council. "We can help. We do help." Oakville is generally thought of as an affluent community in which low literacy is not a problem, but the Council says the numbers tell a different story. "I find that people are very surprised when I tell them that almost 10% of Oakville's workers did not complete high school," Martenson says. "Low literacy tends to be an invisible problem, but it's a serious one that is often the source of the many other social and economic challenges people might face." And it likely affects the entire family. A 2006 study done by the Canadian Centre for Research on Literacy at the University of Alberta showed that children of parents with higher educational levels have higher literacy levels. Martenson says she is not surprised. "We want to break the cycle of low literacy," she says. "Helping the parents helps the children, who don't deserve to start out with any disadvantage." The Oakville Literacy Council is a non-profit, volunteer group dedicated to helping local adults improve their literacy skills. It provides free, confidential, one-on-one tutoring for English-speaking adults, 19 years of age and older, who are experiencing difficulties with everyday reading, writing, or math skills. The Council uses the internationally known Laubach approach to teaching adult literacy, which is named after its founder, Dr. Frank Laubach. This past fall, the Council celebrated 20 years of strengthening the community, and they speak proudly of all the people they have helped over the years. "I'm always so impressed by the achievements of our adult learners," said Joanne Smith-Scozzafava, the Council's Tutor-Student Coordinator. "Our students come to us with a variety of different goals. They might want to take a written driver's test, or be able to follow recipes, or go back to school. Whatever it is, with the assistance of our program and our volunteer tutors, they continually meet and exceed their goals." In 1986, a group of volunteers, many of them associated with the Oakville Public Library, formed the Council to create a welcoming learning environment, knowing that there was a need to address the invisible problem of low literacy. Adults who cannot read or write well want confidentiality, and are often discouraged by a classroom. The Council provides one-on-one, customized lessons suited to those adults. "Students are initially assessed based on what they can do, not what they can't do," says Smith-Scozzafava. "Their lessons are geared toward their own real-life goals, so they quickly envision a clear path to changing their lives." Volunteer tutors, the front line, are carefully interviewed and must attend at least 12 hours of training to become a certified Laubach tutor before being matched with a student. The Council also strives to increase awareness of the problem of low literacy and its impact on the community. "Low literacy is connected to poverty, and even crime," Martenson says. "Health and safety in the workplace are at risk if employees cannot read warnings. Patients who cannot read medical instructions are a danger to themselves, their families, and possibly others." According to the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey, 48% of adult Canadians aged 16 and over - representing 12 million people - have low literacy (in this category, skills may be so low that a medicine bottle is not understandable, or only simple materials related to simple tasks are understood.) The Council works hard to reach those members of the community who will benefit from its services, but Martenson says they face a unique challenge. "The people we need to reach avoid reading and written material in general," she says. "They aren't going to find out about us through traditional advertising, so we count on word-of-mouth referrals. Local helping agencies and the public have to be our eyes and ears in the community." The Council is a United Way agency, and also relies heavily on the support of the Oakville Public Library. Generous community support has always been a key to its success. "We're so fortunate to have devoted volunteers and donors in our community," Martenson said. "We know we change people's lives, and we're grateful to those who help us do that." For more information about the Oakville Literacy Council, or if you know someone who might benefit from their free tutoring program, call 905 469-8528, email info@oakvilleliteracy.ca or visit www.oakvilleliteracy.ca. ya y J is for John & Alex John and Alex Smith We are 7 and 10 y old, and years we helped our mom out at the Book Sale and the this year. We both like to read y and want to help those who struggle p with reading and writing. N is for New Horizons O is for Oakville Beaver GRAPHIC DESIGN HAS THE POWER TO Good Health Expo p Want your business to stand out from the competition? Need some help building your brand? Contact us to add some creative spark to your business communications! SH OP RIGH T. I N THE N E IGHB OURH O OD. 905-845-1055 · www.ignitiondesign.ca L is for Library M is for My Handyman New Horizons Junior School Established 1985 An Enriched Montessori Environment 496 Grand Blvd., N. Oakville OAKVILLE'S AWARD WINNING COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 467 Speers Road, Oakville 905-845-3824 www.oakvillebeaver.com S is for Starbucks 905-845-1444 R is for Rotary y P Print Management Solutions Q is for Quality Kids Clothing Contact Marg Bartlett Oakville, Ontario Tel 416.606.8134 mbartlett-pms@sympatico.ca Children's Boutique Newborn to Size 16 334 Lakeshore Rd. East Oakville, Ontario L6J 1J6 905.844.0440 S Service Above Self Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar www.rcot.ca Working Together...Adults Learning for Life! Celebrating OLC's 20th Anniversary! T is for Thumbprint Adventures p Rotary, locally and worldwide, is proud y to support Literacy programs. Join us in contributing to the success of the Oakville Literacy Council. is for YMCA f ® Starbucks Coffee Canada has maintained a focus on improving y g p p lives p g young peoples' by supporting literacy programs for p g yp g children and families. Z Charity Zone U is for United Way y V Very Good Impressions W is for Wellington West g X is for X Marks the Spot! p Your Name A place for children to experience a learning approach that is engaging, fun and educationally balanced. 10-1500 Sixth Line, Oakville Congratulations to the Oakville Literacy Council for 20 years of service! 466 Speers Rd., Suite 200 Oakville, ON L6K 3W9 T: (905) 845-5571 F: (905) 845-5571 www.uwoakville.org The Investment Advisors from the Oakville branch support literacy. 105 Robinson Street ­ The Old Granary Oakville, ON L6J 1G1 Member Tel: (905) 842-1925 CIPF You missed your chance to see your name here! If you would like to show your support to the Oakville Literacy Council, please call (905) 469-8528 YMCA o f Oakville Take a tour today! 410 Rebecca Street, Oakville Tel: 905-845-3417 www.ymcaofoakville.com y 905-845-6789