The mission of the Okanagan Institute
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the quality of creative engagement in the Okanagan through publications and events.
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Every Book Its Reader
A CELEBRATION OF LITERACY
» Thursday 12 June 2008 | 4:30 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing the people and ideas featured in Okanagan Arts. Join us we celebrate the joy and power of reading, with the Courier's Tom Wilson, CBC's Marion Barschel, Mayor Sharon Shepherd and others.
» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO-FCCS, and in support of Project Literacy Kelowna
TURNING UP THE VOLUME ON READING
People read for all kinds of reasons - to stay informed, to educate themselves, but perhaps best of all they read for pleasure.
Whether fact or fiction, books, magazines or newspapers, reading makes a difference in people's lives.
This week CBC Radio host Marion Barschel, the Daily Courier's Tom Wilson, Mayor Sharon Shepherd and others take centre stage at the Okanagan Institute to share written words that have inspired them, enlightened them, or simply made them smile.
Every Book Its Reader: A Celebration of Literacy takes place Thursday, June 12 at 4:30 pm at the Bohemian Café - 524 Bernard Avenue.
The event is being held in part to raise awareness for one of the key initiatives the Okanagan Institute supports - Project Literacy.
Executive director Barb Hagan estimates one in four people in the Central Okanagan are struggling with low literacy - the equivalent of anything less than a Grade 3 reading level.
"The bar has been raised because we've become a more communications and knowledge-based society and that means more people are being drawn into low literacy," she says, noting other industrialized nations such as England and the U.S. are experiencing similar problems.
Hagan says while most people may have a high school diploma in today's society, that doesn't mean their skills are sufficient.
"You talk to university and college professors and they'll tell you we've got high school graduates who can't read and write past the Grade 3 level. They can't put a paragraph together. They can't add and subtract and they get pushed forward. They're not receiving the support in the school system, and the schools are strapped for funds. We all know they've experienced cutbacks to teaching aids and assistants. And the new immigration figures into those statistics as well."
The good news is more people are willing to recognize they need to improve their skills, and that's where Project Literacy comes in by providing a stable of 120 volunteer tutors. Currently Project Literacy serves about 350 students a year - up from 175 only two years ago.
"People like our service because they don't have to come at set times. They get a chance to sit one-on-one with a tutor. It makes a big difference."
Every Book Its Reader: A Celebration of Literacy is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 44th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007. Since that time, the series has played host to many local luminaries, including artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, architect Jim Meiklejohn, and others from a variety of creative fields.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE
Okanagan Institute at the Bohemian Café A hearty feast of lectures, presentations, workshops and showcases celebrating our culture and community. Produced by the Okanagan Institute in association with Wheat King Publishing magazines: Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Arts. Express is sponsored in part by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and supports the work of Project Literacy Kelowna.
The Okanagan Institute is a group of creative professionals that have gathered around the goal of providing events, publications and services of interest to enquiring minds in the Okanagan. We partner with individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses to achieve optimal creative and social impact.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.
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