Laubach Literacy of BC - Alphabet Scoop - October 2002

Fieldworkers’ reports

Jan Seedhouse, BC Interior

I hope everyone had a good summer. Mine was difficult for personal reasons and led me to the decision to move on from working for Laubach. I will still be involved as a volunteer trainer, including presenting the Screening for Success with Peg Beaton. I will miss my continuous contact with literacy volunteers but am determined to try to make a go with my weaving.

We welcome the Dawson Creek Literacy Society, which has signed on as a Laubach Council. Also, there has been interest expressed from Bella Coola in forming a council so my successor, Jane Fitchen, will be on the road very soon.

There will be no gap between my finish and the Jane’s start, and phone, fax, and email will remain the same. Please make Jane feel welcome, and needed.

Jerry Horne, BC Lower Mainland

There are active tutors in the Lower Mainland, but many of our councils have gone into hibernation, except for Vancouver, which is revived, thanks to a new chair, Susan Ronne, and vice-chair Rob Goodell.

Vancouver Council used Word on the Street (September 29) as a venue to recruit new tutors. Tutor workshops will follow in October and November. Contact me if you know someone who wants tutor training. The workshops will run over five Thursday evenings 6:30-9:30 pm in Vancouver.

Mission Council, in partnership with the Mission Library, has a number of programs, including Reading Buddies for school children, with 60 tutor pairs, a Books for Babies program, and a new program in the schools called Books for Breakfast. Mission’s tutor trainer Myrna McGregor also conducted a tutor workshop for adult tutors in September.

Richmond Council’s librarian Joseph Sequeira is still minding the books, and is always available to consult tutors in his large home office. Richmond Council, as with councils in Surrey and the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody) needs tutors with a bit of extra time and energy to help run their Council.

BC Fieldworkers

Jane Fitschen, BC Interior
1-800-766-4660 (toll-free) 376-5241 (Kamloops)
laubach@telus.net

Jerry Horne, BC Lower Mainland
(604) 263-6606 (Burnaby)
horne@shaw.ca

Laubach Literacy of Canada
National Development Office,
60-C Elizabeth St. Bedford QC J0J 1A0
1-888-248-2898 (toll-free)
http://www.laubach.ca

Volunteer Tutor Support Project
Tell Us What You Think

Tell us what you think Everyone knows that the Laubach organization is changing. We predict more interest in on-line (internet) resources, and we’ve heard many tutors talk about a need for more workshops and ongoing support for their tutor activities.

With this in mind, we’ve initiated the Volunteer Tutor Support Project, and we have support for the concept from the Federal Government’s National Literacy Secretariat. British Columbia has been chosen to pilot the new initiative, which will be “rolled out” across Canada next year.

You can help us

Part of the project involves getting response and some ideas from you, our tutors and volunteers.

Please fill out the attached survey form (PDF 14k) and send it to us using the self-addressed, postage paid envelope. We need your input to help us to determine the direction for our efforts. Your response will also help us to adapt and expand the project for the rest of Canada.

What we’ve done so far

We now have a website just for BC volunteer tutors. The website is growing all the time, but even now you’ll find it has many useful links to on-line resources.

There is also a FAQs section (Frequently Asked Questions) put together by our team of Laubach experts. You can use the website to access our experts, or you can leave a telephone message at 1-800-766-4660 (toll free). We’ll try to answer your question within a day or so.

In addition, we’ve put together a series of “mini workshops”, for tutors. These are refreshers that can be conducted in an evening. Mini workshops can be a part of your regular Council meetings or as special events for a group of tutors. Contact us for details.

The website address is: http://www3.telus.net/laubach/

Volunteer Tutor Support Survey Questionnaire
In order for us to better serve your needs as a volunteer tutor, we would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to fill out this survey questionnaire. (PDF file - 14k)


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