Literacy Alberni Society

Literacy Alberni works to ensure we are leaders in providing literacy, education, language, and settlement services to our community. We are committed to respecting, promoting, and advancing the values of equity, diversity, and safety for all peoples. We provide educational programs and facilitate literacy acquisition in learners of all ages through a range of programs, services, and activities.

Literacy Alberni is a relatively small learning centre, with a staff of five and more than 45 volunteers. We serve a regional population of 31,000 people, encompassing the Alberni Valley, and outlying communities such as Bamfield, Ucluelet, and Tofino. In 2017, the low literacy rate was 41%, child poverty rates within the city were 33.7%, and the child vulnerability rate had increased to 32%. Literacy Alberni is part of a community partnership that is taking a multi-pronged approach to reversing these statistics by increasing skill levels in adults who experience poverty that negatively impacts their household.

Our Community Adult Learning Program provides a variety of services for adults. The English as an Alternate Language Program welcomes newcomers to Canada, specifically immigrant and refugee populations. The Klitsa Tutoring Program supports academic curriculum for learners of all ages ranging from kindergarten to post-secondary levels. Literacy Alberni partners with post-secondary institutions, the school district, employment services, and local Indigenous communities to ensure that the diverse adult population of the Alberni Valley has access to our services.

Adult literacy education was the start and is at the heart of what we do. Our English as an Alternate Language Program (EAL) services include English classes for Newcomers and Refugees and one-to-one literacy support to ensure language acquisition. We also provide settlement assistance to newcomers, including assistance in obtaining Canadian citizenship, transition to employment, connecting with doctors, dentists, and other essential community services, and facilitating enrolment in higher education. Newcomers to Canada are able to not only learn the skills that they need to function in Canadian society, but they also learn skills that allow them to fully integrate into our society. We offer opportunities to get involved with the local community, to meet others from both similar and different backgrounds, and to learn about the history and culture of our region.

Our Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) offers classes and one-to-one tutoring in basic literacy skills, numeracy, driver instruction, essential employment skills, upgrading for transitioning workers, and supports those seeking to improve employability or on-the-job use of productivity programs and digital technology.