The role of the literacy specialist as a catalyst for change was central to the project framework. Learning about where adult literacy was at in each community, helping service providers and other members of the community understand the issues of adult literacy, and assisting them with their efforts to improve services and promote literacy were the activities that filled in the framework. Our learning and values about adult literacy, community development and capacity building formed how we carried out such activities. The framework of the project became visible through the process of learning from people in each of our unique communities, reading literacy research, and sharing our learning with each other as a team.

The framework was also constructed by the research components of the project. There were three focused inquiries folded into the development of the project. In the first year we researched how organizations made positive literacy changes in their services and programs. In the second year we examined the literacy specialist role to identify skills and competencies, and to explore the significance of prior knowledge and experience. Using a research in practice approach the research was carried out by the all the literacy specialists and lead by Bill Holbrow and Audrey Gardner.

The Team

The project team consisted of Robin Houston-Knopff as Project Manager, Bill Holbrow as Researcher, and Rebecca Still, Karen Appleby, Carmyn Block, Judy Millard (year one), and Audrey Gardner were the literacy specialists.

The Communities

The six communities were selected according to demographic information, which can be linked to low literacy. This includes factors such as: less than a grade nine education, low-income households, and single parent households. Three rural communities were located in southern and central Alberta, and three urban communities where in the city of Calgary.