Year in Review - The Action Read One to One Tutoring Program

This has been a year of change for the One to One Tutoring Program with the implementation of the new Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework. The Curriculum Framework is a competency-based approach the helps practitioners, tutors and learners clarify connections between literacy development and the real-life tasks learners perform in work, learning, and community contexts.  It extends literacy instruction beyond discrete skill building and focuses, instead, on the interaction of skills, knowledge, and behaviours that reflect learners’ needs, goals, and interests. The new Curriculum has been well received by both learners and tutors. Implementation will continue through this year and into the spring of 2013.

We continue to plan events and workshops for volunteers and learners. In May, volunteers attended a “Journaling’ workshop presented by local writer, facilitator and therapist Melinda Burns. Our picnic in June and games night in August were well attended. We have scheduled a Volunteer Tutor walk along the Royal Recreational Trail in October as well as ‘Reading Comprehension Strategy’ volunteer workshop for November.

On April 19 at a ceremony at the Concordia Club in Kitchener, six volunteers were presented with the “Volunteer Service Award’ sponsored by the Government of Ontario. Congratulations to Sharon Nancekivell, Peter Lyall, Jeff Guitard, David Atkinson, Ingrid Grexton and Ron Steadman.

In the past year we have had several volunteer recruitment opportunities. I attended The Co-Operators 2012 Volunteer Fair during Volunteer Appreciation week, and put together a poster display in the front window of the Guelph Wellington Volunteer Centre in recognition of our Action Read volunteers. Along with our ongoing volunteer recruitment ads on CFRU Radio and the Guelph Wellington Volunteer Centre website, I have also advertised in the “One Thousand Tree” monthly newsletter that is published on their website. I continue to attend the Spring and Fall Inter(act) & Micro-volunteerism Fairs at the University of Guelph.

 

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to congratulate all the learners who have achieved their goals (both big and small) in 2011-2012 and a BIG thank you to all the Action Read volunteers who helped to make it happen.