A Brighter Future
Students
Our Purpose
Our Purpose is: We are here to help adults in our community bridge gaps in their reading, writing, math and computer skills, use these skills in everyday living, reach their own goals and improve their self esteem.
This is a short video explaining how literacy bridges skills gaps:
If your goal is further education, employment, more independence, or working toward an apprenticeship, literacy skills are the key.
What Do You Need?
- I need to read better.
- I need to write better.
- I need to understand math better.
- I need …help to figure out what I need!
Have you lost confidence? Can’t see a path to your future? We will help you bridge skills and confidence gaps through one-on-one tutoring, independent study or small classes. IN PERSON and FREE!
1,500+
STUDENTS
ASSISTED
SINCE 1979
100%
FREE TUTORING
SERVICES FOR ELIGIBLE
BARRIE & AREA RESIDENTS
1,319
HOURS THAT VOLUNTEER TUTORS SPENT ONE ON ONE WITH STUDENTS LAST YEAR
Ready to get started?
Hear From One of Our Students
Brandon was a student at the Barrie Literacy Council where he successfully improved his basic reading, writing, and especially his math. We need more volunteer tutors to provide free assistance to students like Brandon who want to learn and build a better future for themselves.
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What Can I Say To Myself?
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Coming Soon
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Coming Soon
Student Stories
Here’s what some of our students are saying:
Hi, my name is E. F.
As a young boy to now a forty-nine year old man, I’ve struggled with reading and writing. It has been a painful and embarrassing life.
I’ve been at the Barrie Literacy Council for three months without a tutor and two and a half months with a very nice tutor. My tutor is great and so is the staff at the literacy council. There is no pressure and this time has made me see that I will be reading and writing well some time soon. This gives me the self-esteem I so badly need. The knowledge of how to read and write is like super hero powers, need I say more?
If a person can read and write, that person can do anything.
E F.
My name is John, I am a student at the Barrie Literacy Council. I was employed, for a long time, with a car parts manufacturing company. However, because of the economic downturn, the company I worked for went into receivership, and I found myself out of work after 31 years.
I never finished high school and was not able to read or write very well. I was too embarrassed to let anyone know that I could not read and write and I found that searching for a job is almost impossible without those basic skills.
I decided to get help with reading and writing, but I was not able to pass the written test to enter the Barrie Learning Centre to upgrade my skills. Therefore, I had to go to the Barrie Literacy Council on 80 Bradford St., in Barrie to get the help I needed. With the assistance of the literacy center, I am now reading, writing and doing arithmetic. I have had several job interviews, and have been accepted into a local welding school to obtain my welders trade certification. My future looks brighter than before, because of the help I received from the Barrie Literacy Council. Without the literacy center, I would probably working in a minimum wage job with no future prospects and still struggling with illiteracy.
The teachers and staff at the Barrie Literacy Council are very professional. They go out of their way to make sure I am getting the skills that I need to succeed in life. The center is a valuable community asset and needs all the funding and support that it can receive, to continue to help individuals like me.
John
When I started with the Barrie Literacy Council it was the best decision I’ve made to improve my confidence in my writing and speaking skills. I am a professional in the community who lost a client due to my poor grammar in emails. It was a devastating blow to my self-esteem, and I knew I had to do something about it.
I reached out to the BLC and had an assessment done within a week. Now I have a tutor I meet with once a week, who helps me in many ways beyond my learning. Together, we work on spelling, punctuation and sentence structure. Every time I come to the centre, I am greeted with a smile and all the staff know my name. I appreciate all the resources they offer and the clean, quiet work spaces.
The Barrie Literacy Council is for more than those with learning disabilities or those who are illiterate. It’s a place where anyone can come to strengthen their reading, writing and math skills. Plus, it’s free!
L.S.
In answer to your questions, yes, the Literacy Council did help me to find employment, yes I did find a job, and yes I continue to be gainfully employed by the same employer. I’ve been a PSW at XXX Care Centre pretty much since I finished with you guys. Thank you.
J.P. (Soft Skills Solutions©)
The literacy helped me in many different ways. They helped me when no one else did. Example: my high school just passed me through. When I first came to the Literacy Council I couldn’t even spell the simplest word, but now I can spell most of the words in this paragraph. And to be truly honest, I don’t know where I would be now without the Literacy Council.
J. A. M.
I like coming to the Barrie Literacy Council because I feel very comfortable. That’s very important to me because I suffer from anxiety, so having a place to learn where I feel comfortable is a big deal. The Barrie Literacy Council has helped me improve my reading and writing skills. They have also helped me get the courage to tackle math, which was very difficult for me. For all these reasons and more, I like coming to the Barrie Literacy Council.
A.L.
I initially joined the Barrie Literacy Council because I was hoping to go back to school and get my GED. I also wished to read bedtime stories to my children which was a difficult task for me. My son was diagnosed with autism, ADHD and other disabilities, so I decided that going back to school at that time was not practical. It made more sense for me to focus on his needs because there is an abundance of paperwork and medical forms that need to be completed. With my tutor Michelle’s help, I was able to complete many important forms. My reading and spelling have improved quite a bit and now I am able to read bedtime stories to my children and read for my own enjoyment. I have learned to use Microsoft Word on a computer quite well. I got my Smart Serve which has allowed me to work. Thanks to the Barrie Literacy Council and my tutor, I am more confident in my reading, spelling and computer skills.
R.V.
