International Literacy Day: Celebrating literacy success

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City hall was crowded with excited readers on Tuesday as local residents packed the main foyer to celebrate International Literacy Day.

Local dignitaries were on hand to run the Literacy Day flag up the flagpole, in a well-attended event that highlighted the important of literacy programs in Prince Albert.“It gives us the opportunity to step back and just appreciate how essential literacy is in everyday parts of our life,” Prince Albert Literacy Network chairperson Liz Thompson said.  “It touches every aspect: families, children, adults, workers … all of us.”Many of Tuesday’s attendees are recent immigrants to Prince Albert who arrived without the ability to read English.  Some, like Somali immigrant Sofia Abukar could speak and understand enough phrases to get by, but reading was another matter.

“It was very difficult,” Abukar said.  “Reading was very difficult, and speaking with Canadian people.  Sometimes you are nervous.”

© Herald photo by Jason Kerr. Local dignitaries prepare to officially recognize International Literacy Day by raising the flag at city hall on Tuesday. From left to right are Mayor Greg Dionne, Prince Albert Northcote MLA Victoria Jurgens, Prince Albert MP Randy Hoback and Prince Albert Literacy Network Chairperson Liz Thompson.

Abukar, who came to Prince Albert with her husband in 2014, said local literacy programs helped boost her reading level, allowing her to better understand school forms that teachers sent home with her children, among other things.

For Thompson and other Literacy Network members, this is exactly the type of story they like to here.  Abukar was one of several residents who spoke about learning to read on Tuesday, but she’s still in the minority.

Surprisingly, Thompson said there are still many people who don’t know about Prince Albert’s many literacy programs.
“One of the challenges seems to be just becoming aware of all the excellent resources we have available in this community and in Saskatchewan,” she said.

International Literacy Day was first declared by the United Nations in 1965.  The goal was to help more people achieve a reading level that allowed them to not only allowed them to read for work or enjoyment, but also participate in the community.

Thompson said the large turnout for Literacy Day shows that Prince Albert has had some success in this area.

“We’re absolutely thrilled with turnout today, with all the various groups in town, with the adult students and those interested in supporting literacy.”

The Prince Albert Literacy Network has been offering tutoring and family literacy programs since 1989.  In addition to Tuesday’s celebrations, they also have another event planned for Saturday’s Farmers Market.

The Prince Albert Daily Herald

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