Introducing
our new Board:

On September 21, The Centre for Literacy elected a new board for a two-year term from 2000-2002. They are:

President: David Dillon
McGill University

Vice-President/Treasurer:
Peggy Sangster
Montreal Children's Hospital

Members:
Lionel Emond
retired consultant
Valerie Frunchak
Jewish General Hospital
David Kennedy
Cadbury-Schweppes
Ken McLaughlin
Open City Productions 2002
Adele Nessim
Learning Disabilities Association of Quebec, Montreal Chapter 1
Linda Schachtler Elizabeth House
Linda Shohet
(ex officio)
Susie Wileman
Dawson College

The Centre for Literacy of Quebec
3040 Sherbrooke St . West
Montreal, QC H3Z 1A4
Tel.: (514) 931-8731 ext 1415
Fax: (514) 931-5181

Website: www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca
Email: literacycntr@dawsoncollege.qc.ca

The Centre for Literacy

News from The Centre
FALL 2000

The Millenium Bureau

The Millennium Bureau of Canada has signed a contribution agreement with The Centre for Literacy to create a Canadian National Storysacks project in partnership with three other literacy organizations, each of which will manage one region of the country. The New Brunswick Coalition for Literacy will coordinate the Atlantic region; Literacy Partners of Manitoba will coordinate the West; the Northwest Territories Literacy Council will oversee a pilot-project in Yellowknife as a model for the North; and The Centre will coordinate Quebec and Ontario.

Call for a National Storysacks Coordinator

The Storysacks concept began in the UK several years ago with elementary school principal Neil Griffiths who conceived the idea as a way of encouraging early excitement about reading among young children and engaging parents (including those who did not read very well themselves) in helping their children become readers. It has become a national hit there, patronized by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, and is currently managed through the Basic Skills Agency as an Early Literacy Initiative. Storysacks was brought to New Brunswick in May 1999 by Jan Greer, Executive Director of the N.B.Coalition, with funding from the National Literacy Secretariat. Jan facilitated workshops here in Montreal last November.

The four partners are creating an early literacy project built around Canadian children's literature which reflects the regional and cultural identities of communities across the country. Our goal is to create 4000 storysacks over six months, and double that number if the project continues for a full year.

To manage the project, we are seeking a coordinator to work in Montreal.

Responsibilities will include management of the Quebec/Ontario initiative (3 days per week) and management of the national project (2 days per week).

The job will last from mid-November 2000 to mid-April 2001 with the possibility of extension. Salary for the six-month contract is $20,000. A full job description with list of qualifications and requirements is posted on our web site.

Application deadline: November 10.