The Reading and Writing Centre is a learning centred environment that serves as an exemplary model of adult literacy education. This thesis shares and builds upon the perspective that literacy learning is a process of self-development - learning literacy skills is a means or a tool for learning how to learn (Bossort, Cottingham and Gardner 1994) and for experiencing success and building confidence (Battell 2001). The efficacy of the Centre's learning centred education lies in the capacity for teachers and students to "do freedom". Within the Reading and Writing Centre, the teachers' and students' experiences of doing freedom are analyzed within Gould's framework of freedom as self-development, where the basic social unit is the individualin- relation. This emphasizes the context of the group or community in the process of selfdevelopment. I argue that doing freedom within the Reading and Writing Centre disrupts traditional power dynamics and creates abundance, a term used to describe the generative, sustainable quality of the Centre. I use the notions of abundance and disruption to explain the something different about the Centre, and use them as key concepts both to describe the Centre physically and to analyze the efficacy of the Centre.

Description of the Centre

Abundance and disruption are concretely visible from the outside, before even entering the Centre. While standing on the sidewalk, one can read the student-made banners adorning the windows. The banner, "Learn To Read and Write", along with the name of the Centre itself, declares that literacy learning is the focus here and indicates that students are free to openly and publicly declare that they are adult literacy students. "This Class is Very Relaxing" expresses some students' experience of the Centre and can be seen as a disruption of expectations that school will be a repeat of previous adverse experiences. The banner declaring "We Are All Teachers Here" expresses another aspect of students' experiences at the Centre - disruption of traditional student/teacher roles and relationships. I address these issues of disruption in the literature review and the analysis chapters.

Abundance is apparent when you first walk in the door of the Reading and Writing Centre through the general atmosphere, and from students' descriptions of the Centre as "a welcoming place" and a "freedom place". The something different about the Centre includes this climate of abundance, expressed concretely through the ever-full coffeepot, the weekly free bread delivery, and the profusion of food at the Centre's lunches and events. The atmosphere of the Centre is usually one of ample good cheer and occasional bursts of laughter. Students share cigarettes with one another as well as queries and information. On every table are jars full of pens and pencils for anyone to use. Students can use the photocopier and the computer printer