Tutoring is an excellent volunteer activity for busy working people. In just a couple of hours a week one can make a great impact on another person's life. The results are tangible, and there is a feeling of satisfaction as your literacy student develops into a more productive, better informed, happier individual.

Helping one person is very rewarding and worthwhile, but even a million Laubach tutors will deal with only part of Canada's literacy problem. There is much more to do.

Laubach Literacy Councils are groups of students, tutors and others who have seen the positive results of the 'each one, teach one' philosophy. Their tasks in supporting tutors and students are clear: Recruit more students and tutors, make appropriate student-tutor matches, provide books and other resources, and organize workshops and social events.

What more is there to do? The sky's the limit.

Laubach Councils know first-hand what literacy is about, and they know how to deal with the challenge of literacy with practical solutions.They have to skills and the experience to take on great challenges.

When your Council meets again, or when you meet with one or two of your literacy friends, think about taking on one or more of these projects:

• Set up a meeting with your local librarian. Often they're on the front lines of adult literacy. Some libraries have reading classes or volunteer tutors. Let them know that you're available to help - either as a tutor or as a partner in locating and training tutors for them. Increasingly today, the public library is the most accessible place in the community where people can find the resources they need to keep up with a rapidly changing workplace, family and community.
• Think about workplace literacy. Large employers come across people everyday who could benefit from Laubach tutoring. Some bosses may not see it as a problem today, but as more and more jobs become dependent on complex technological processes, they'll need workers who can read manuals, write reports and search the internet for information. All of these activities create a need for higher and higher literacy standards.
  Talk to your local high school about Peer Youth Tutoring Clubs. During a 12 hour Laubach training session, youth volunteers learn to tutor peers who need assistance in reading, writing and numeracy. Once tutors are paired with students, the group becomes a Club where everyone participates in activities together.
• Talk to parents groups, churches and social welfare agencies about family literacy. What is family literacy? As primary educators of children, parents must be involved in a child's education. LLC has established family literacy programs that help parents develop positive attitudes toward reading, writing and other life skills. Furthermore, impressing upon parents the importance of developing these skills early in a child's life helps break the cycle of illiteracy in society, which is one of the root causes of poverty, addiction, poor health and criminality.

Myrna McGregor is Laubach's new volunteer Provincial Training Officer (PTO) responsible for British Columbia. For the past few years Myrna has shared tutor training duties in the Lower Mainland with Marilyn Hunley, who previously held the PTO position. Marilyn says she intends to continue as a tutor trainer.

Myrna retired to BC after a career in Alberta, where she was vice-principal of a junior high school. She now lives in Mission, where she is active with the Mission Literacy Association, a well-rounded network of people from various local social service, training and job preparation agencies. Laubach Literacy plays a key role in the Association, particularly benefitting adult students with the lowest levels of literacy.

Myrna attended Laubach's national Training and Certification meeting in Toronto in late January.

Have you considered being a Laubach trainer? It's a great way to become more familiar with Laubach resource materials and gain some experience as a facilitator. New Apprentice Trainers (ATs) first observe a workshop, then begin to make presentations. You can go as quickly or as slowly as you wish, taking into consideration the number of workshops available in your area. After you have worked with a certified Laubach Trainer for six or more workshops you can be a lead trainer and then submit a certification package to the Training and Certification Committee. Any expenses incurred are reimbursed. We hope to have a Trainers Workshop immediately before or after the Spring Conference and AGM in Kamloops in June.