by Jean Rasmussen,
Director of Community and Family Development and Training, Literacy BC

Across North America, public-private relationships are on the rise. More and more charitable organizations and corporations are forging partnerships to achieve their respective goals. These mutually beneficial liaisons come in many different forms. However, the majority of them involve more than money as their primary objective. Without losing sight of their basic economic role, or their need to make a profit, modern corporations have concerns, ideals and responsibilities which go far beyond the economic bottom-line. When non-profits partner with corporations, government and private foundations, everyone benefits.

Literacy BC has developed many partnerships with socially minded corporations committed to literacy and lifelong learning, and in particular, to family literacy.

For example, our National Family Literacy Day/Week Campaign committee includes the Starbucks Coffee Company, which initiated the ABC (All Books for Children) Book Drive and has continued its support through four annual campaigns, providing refreshments for the annual Breakfast of Champions, as well as the week’s workshops and events. Listel Vancouver hotel not only provides accommodation and other services for our Breakfast speakers and other special guests, but also contributes to our Family Literacy Fund. Last year, Panago Pizza came on board as an important sponsor of the Week, and has now made a major commitment to the new Panago Learn with Spinoza program in BC elementary schools. New this year is Read, Write and Roar!, the BC Lions summer literacy program, and Canadians Reading Together: The Family Stories project, an exciting venture we share with Word on the Street. Scholastic Book Fairs, Canada Post and the Vancouver Sun’s Raise-a-Reader campaign continue as major benefactors and partners.

Family literacy in BC owes much, not only to these outstanding corporations, but also to individuals and to government ministries with a vested interest in literacy and lifelong learning. Without the ongoing and sustaining support of the National Literacy Secretariat, Human Resources Development Canada, (NLS), and B.C.’s Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED), family literacy as we know it in B.C. would not exist. In particular, Yvette Souque of the NLS, and Audrey Thomas, of AVED, deserve special appreciation and our deepest gratitude. These individuals are champions for family literacy, and - along with many other dedicated colleagues in programs throughout the province - have helped to cultivate and nurture the family literacy field.

For more information, contact:
Literacy BC
601 - 510 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC 1L8
Tel (604) 684-0624 Toll free in BC: 1-800-663-1293 Fax (604) 684-8520
info@literacy.bc.ca     www.nald.ca/lbc.htm

[This article was excerpted from the October, 2002 issue of Imprints, the newsletter of Literacy BC, Vol. 8 No. 3.]

• Offer a highly supportive, friendly and comfortable environment so that students will enjoy coming to your program and will refer family and friends.
• Offer small group instruction in addition to one-to-one tutoring.
• Support learners with computer-based learning, interactive software and the Internet - most learners really enjoy this!
• Start a student computer club supervised by staff or a volunteer.
• Offer an “open night” at your agency each month - an evening when any student can come by with homework, forms or letters they need help with and receive support from staff, volunteers or peers.

[Adapted from Our Voice, Winter 2001, published by Community Literacy of Ontario (CLO)]