Kitchener — “Family literacy has a strong influence on individual development. Strengthening literacy and essential skills helps provide a home environment that is rich in learning activities, and increases adults’ success in finding and keeping employment,” said Mr. Stephen Woodworth MP. “Our government is proud to work with partners like Project READ to ensure literacy and essential skills are integrated into training that will help Canadians get jobs and build better futures for themselves and their families.”

Project READ Literacy Network Waterloo-Wellington will receive $374,462 for its project Strengthening Family Ties: Multi-Generational, Intercultural Model of Skills Transfer, which will focus on developing and testing a new curriculum to help parents and children increase their literacy together.

“Project READ believes that literacy begins at home and that every parent is their child’s first teacher. We are grateful and excited to receive this grant to support parents in our community and to build learning within families,” said Ms. Anne Ramsay, Executive Network Director, Project READ Literacy Network Waterloo-Wellington. “We want every family to experience the success of life-long learning through the foundation of literacy. Together with our community partners, we look forward to fully developing a new innovative approach to family literacy.”

Supporting Canadians’ literacy and essential skills is a key part of the Government’s commitment to help foster a highly skilled, adaptable and competitive workforce. This commitment was underscored in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. To help Canadian workers and families during the global economic downturn and to prepare for the country’s long-term growth, the Government is investing $8.3 billion through the Economic Action Plan in the Canada Skills and Transition Strategy.

Through the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program, the Government of Canada is investing $36 million in 2009–2010.