I. Introduction

A. About the Family Literacy Action Group of Alberta

The Family Literacy Action Group, or F.L.A.G., was formed in 1993 in response to a need identified at the Roots of Literacy Symposium in Brooks in October 1992. That symposium on family literacy, organized by a group from the Brooks Campus of Medicine Hat College, brought together individuals from across Alberta and beyond who saw family literacy as having great potential for preventing the cycle of low literacy skills and for strengthening the family.

Among those attending the symposium in Brooks were Bonnie Annicchiarico, one of the creators of the Homespun curriculum, Kathy Day, a literacy coordinator in Pincher Creek, Maureen Sanders of Prospects Literacy Association in Edmonton, and Yvon Laberge of HOPE Learning Systems in Edmonton. These four saw the need and possibility for an organization which could help network people interested in family literacy. Such an organization could also work to raise the public's awareness of the importance of family reading, and to inform other agencies who would be targeting the same client group. By 1993 this core group had formed the Family Literacy Action Group.

The F.L.A.G. committee applied for and received funding from Literacy Partnerships, the joint funding program between Alberta Advanced Education and the National Literacy Secretariat. The proposal was developed to link the promotion of family literacy programs with the International Year of the Family in 1994.

The Family Literacy Action Group is involved in three main types of activities:

• Exploration of family literacy activities, resources, and issues. This research is used to support and provide information to practitioners and interested agencies, as well as to develop the Practical Guide to Family Literacy.
• Enhancement of family literacy by means of publishing a practical guide to family literacy, developing a speakers' bank, developing presentation packages, publishing newsletters and newsletter inserts, participating in the national family literacy conference in October 1994, and publishing a position paper.
• Promotion and celebration of family literacy, including the development and distribution of media packages, participation in the Premier's Council in Support of Alberta Families, and participation in various conferences and workshops.

F.L.A.G. is busy planning for its second year of operation. This work will include research into effective community collaborations and the development of a pilot workshop to assist family literacy practitioners in building strong collaborative projects. F.L.A.G. will also be researching and developing resources on effective family literacy program evaluation.