LPQ Strategic Planning

The months since March have been extremely busy and very exciting for LPQ. We have undertaken a process of strategic planning to help us examine our new growth and to shape the organization in a very conscious and efficient manner.

With the first phase of the process now complete, we are most satisfied with where we stand. We are proud to have new Mission, Vision and Values statements and are confident that they will serve our community and literacy well as we enter the new millennium.

One of the most rewarding and interesting parts of the process was meeting with our members and partners. These meetings were extremely valuable and most enjoyable as they provided us all the opportunity to meet in a relaxed atmosphere which encouraged positive and productive dialogue.

The exercise proved valuable for all --LPQ learnt directly and clearly what our members’ needs are, and our members appreciated the opportunity to express their needs while also interacting with other literacy providers.

We will now prepare to undertake Phase 2 of the project which is a plan to carry out activities identified in the Strategic Plan.

Health Canada Centres of Excellence for Children

In late March, the President and Executive Director of LPQ attended a national advisory committee session—one of many sponsored by Health Canada and held in major cities across the country. The purpose of these sessions was to identify relevant issues to be considered for a series of Centres of Excellence for Children which are being set up in selected areas across the country.

LPQ was among several provincial coalitions who attended these meetings in the hope that our presence at this early stage would give family literacy a national profile at Health Canada, and perhaps encourage decision makers to identify it as one of their issues.

With the consultations now complete, the outcomes are quite disappointing for us. There was little direct reference to literacy in the report on Centres for Excellence for Children Well Being.

Nevertheless, those of us from the literacy community who attended feel that with so many people from across the country making their presence known, we did have an impact. Our presence gave a clear indication of the role and importance for language and literacy within the dimension of Children’s Well-Being.

Patience is the key, and we will continue to communicate this message as we actively seek other opportunities to raise awareness about Family Literacy.