Everyone can learn to read better

8th SEPTEMBER IS INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY

Building the literacy skills of people of all ages is critical to developing strong communities, promoting genuine social inclusion and improving BC's economic performance.
International Literacy Day, on September 8th, is a great opportunity to explore the wide range of efforts underway in our province to promote and support literacy and lifelong learning - and to showcase the unique stories of the people who are working hard to learn to read and write better, and realize their potential.
Our province is at the forefront of community literacy development, with many valuable initiatives underway to identify needs and strengthen literacy provision. As we begin to focus on the needs of specific groups of British Columbians where basic skill-building is most urgent, there are many wonderful stories to be told.
All of British Columbia benefits immensely when individuals improve their literacy skills. Literacy BC works in partnership with the government, business and community sectors to create and sustain local services that meet diverse interests, and that are truly accessible.
Literacy BC is marking International Literacy Day with the release of Learning Without Borders, a guidebook to help newly-involved people and agencies better understand the community adult literacy field. "Real access to learning begins when we stop treating learning as an isolated activity," says Diana Twiss, Deputy Executive Director of Literacy BC. "This booklet will be a valuable resource, which underlines how literacy development must be embedded in and responsive to the context, needs and interests of learners and their communities."
UNESCO is using this year's event to underline the well-known significance of literacy for healthy societies. This year's international slogan: "Literacy is the best remedy". Find out about why UNESCO promotes International Literacy Day and how they are marking it in 2008 here.