The Council serves men and women aged 19 and over who have good spoken English. Our students do not fit one profile, but what they do have in common is a challenge that restricts their quality of life.

We meet the needs of real people who have real goals. Think about all the potential outcomes of improved literacy – filling out a job application, passing a test to upgrade job skills, reading to a child, getting a driver’s licence, communicating with relatives by email, and handling everyday banking.

Our tutors use the Laubach approach to literacy; a variety of methods are used to help learners associate the spoken word to the written language. Potential students are professionally and respectfully assessed and then carefully matched with a suitable tutor.

We are the only organization in Oakville offering a free personal learning environment to adult students, many of whom feel intimidated by a classroom.

We build on what people already do well, we encourage effort, and we applaud successes.

Community outreach and our unique challenge

Low literacy is a serious problem – it exists here in Oakville – but it is often a hidden one. The Oakville Literacy Council works hard to remind people that addressing low literacy means attacking the root cause of many other difficulties people face in their lives. Improved literacy means improved quality of life.

We promote our program in various ways in Oakville, but always with the main goal of letting people know we’re here to help.

Literacy service providers are faced with a unique challenge – it is difficult to find and attract new students because they typically avoid written material, including traditional print advertising.

You can be our eyes and ears and help us uncover and engage those who can benefit from our services.