What is it?

• An interactive discussion on how literacy can open doors to prosperity for individuals and for Canada
• An event linking participants at ten sites across Canada

• An opportunity for literacy organizations, teachers, parents, learners, labour, business, and governments to come together to promote literacy
• Six inspiring keynote speakers sharing their personal stories of the difference literacy has made in their lives
• A set of materials available on the Web after the conference, sharing the keynote speeches and much more
• The wellspring for a rich, enduring resource of education material designed to help instructors, administrators, policy makers, and others

When is it, and where?

• April 14-15, 2008
• Ten sites across Canada: New Brunswick (Atlantic site), Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

What are the themes of the forum?

• Literacy and prosperity
• Vision, innovation and participation
• Literacy Works! Building a skilled and resilient workforce
• Aboriginal literacy
• Literacy: Never too early, never too late
• Connecting communities for lifelong literacy
• Literacy and Web technology

How does it work?

• Conference sites will be linked through Web technology to allow keynote presentations and subsequent question-and-answer sessions to be shared interactively in real time.
• Each site will also have local speakers and events relating to the site theme.

Where can I find more information?

• New information will be posted here as it becomes available.
• Contact Katerina Sukovski by email.

Quick Links

• Education Ministers Announce Major Pan-Canadian Forum on Literacy, Press Release, Victoria, BC, September 25, 2007
• Ministers Call for Increased Federal Funding for Postsecondary Education and Take Action on Literacy, Press Release, Toronto, ON, February 13, 2007

• UNESCO International Literacy Day (8 September)
• United Nations Literacy Decade (2003 to 2012)
• Literacy at UNESCO