Thinking about the interconnections between values and work is not just a onetime event. It is useful to periodically take time to reflect on this because things change in communities, and values shift as well.

Study, Learn, and Do - Adult Literacy focused Community Development and Capacity Building

One of our challenges as literacy specialists was trying to attach concepts of community development and community capacity building to adult literacy. A key question that we wrestled with in our effort to connect these concepts was:

How can we, as literacy specialists, do community development work that will contribute to community capacity and address the adult literacy needs of each of these unique communities?

Our efforts to find the answer to this question required us to read (STUDY) articles, books and other resources, to LEARN more about our communities, and just to dive in and DO the work.

Study - Reading and Reflecting

Along with the key tool for the project, The Literacy Audit Kit, we found the following publications on adult literacy, community development and capacity building very informative:

• Canada Information Office (2000). Issues and Challenges in Communicating with Less Literate Canadians.
• Hayden, R. & Sanders, M. (1998). Community Service Providers as Literacy Facilitators: A Pilot Project.
• Smythe, S. & Weinstein. (2000). Weaving Literacy into Family and Community Life.
• Taylor, M. (2001). Adult Literacy Now.
• Vasily, L. and Steele, V. (1996) Perspectives on a Community Development Approach to Adult Literacy Education in New York State.