Children and their families throughout British Columbia will continue to benefit from local literacy programs with support from the annual Raise-a-Reader campaign Sept 17-24.  

“Reading and literacy skills give children the building blocks to be successful in school and in life,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “The Raise-a-Reader campaign creates awareness about literacy and opens doors for children and families to access programs where they can learn essential literacy skills, make community connections and improve their quality of life. I offer my sincere thanks to our partner, Decoda Literacy Solutions, all of Raise-a-Reader’s literacy program providers, and all the supporters of the campaign. Your efforts make a difference every day in the lives of British Columbians.”

The Vancouver Sun’s annual Raise-a-Reader campaign supports literacy by increasing awareness and raising money to fund a range of virtual and in-person literacy programs offered through public libraries, Indigenous organizations, community literacy groups, schools and family resource centres. The provincial government is contributing $500,000 to this year’s campaign.

The Province supports literacy in partnership with Decoda Literacy Solutions, which provides resources, training and funds to support community-based literacy and learning initiatives in communities throughout British Columbia.

“We are deeply grateful to the Province of B.C. and to B.C. businesses, community groups and individuals for their ongoing support for Raise-a-Reader,” said Margaret Sutherland, executive director, Decoda Literacy Solutions. “Raise-a-Reader empowers children and families with tools to develop their literacy skills, building a foundation for lifelong learning.”

During Raise-a-Reader Week, families and children can participate in reading, playing and other activities through a variety of community literacy programs that help develop literacy skills. Examples of B.C. community programs that benefit from Raise-a-Reader funds include:

• StoryWalks
• Parent-Child Mother Goose
• Literacy in the Kitchen
• English language learning
• One-to-one reading and tutoring programs

During Raise-a-Reader Week, the campaign features daily stories in the Vancouver Sun’s print and online editions, highlighting community literacy programs.

“The Vancouver Sun’s commitment to the Raise-a-Reader program reflects our steadfast belief in the important role literacy plays in enriching the lives of children and families,” said Harold Munro, editor-in-chief, Vancouver Sun. “Our heartfelt thanks to the provincial government for again joining us in this campaign to help so many people across B.C. reach their full potential. This generous donation combined with the many contributions from other institutions and Sun readers truly makes a difference.”

This year, people can donate to the campaign through the Canada Helps website, supported by the Decoda Literacy Foundation: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/42475

Quick Facts:

• More than 700,000 British Columbians have significant challenges with literacy.
• People with stronger literacy skills are more likely to enjoy better health, have better job opportunities and be more engaged in their community.
• Since 1997, the campaign has raised more than $20 million for literacy initiatives in B.C.
• Last year, over 17,500 children, parents and caregivers attended 3,500 family literacy sessions made possible with support from Raise-a-Reader, in addition to thousands of books and learning materials distributed to family literacy programs, schools and libraries around B.C.

Learn More:

To donate to the 2021 Raise-a-Reader campaign, visit: www.raise-a-reader.com

Decoda Literacy Solutions and Foundation: https://decoda.ca/get-involved/raise-a-reader/