With judging now complete, we are pleased to announce the names of our Individual Achievement and Educator winners.

Individual Achievement Winners

Alison Pepper
A childhood illness affected Alison’s ability to speak, read and write. When she started working, she realized that she needed to improve her reading and writing skills. On a friend’s advice, she enrolled in an adult literacy program, and has worked tirelessly with tutors to improve her reading, writing and math skills. She is also an advocate for literacy, helping to develop and lead workshops for other students. Event picture >

Richard Marr
Richard lost many good jobs because he couldn’t read or spell. Hiding his very limited literacy skills became a way of life. Then he decided it was time to stop hiding. With a goal of earning his General Education Diploma, Richard joined a learning exchange almost a year ago. Improving his reading and writing has enabled him to experience wonderful new things in life such as reading to his children.

Kaiza Mahamoud
Kaiza was 28 years old when she came to Canada from Somalia in 2002. She could not read or write in any language. In 2007, when the opportunity came up to improve her literacy skills through English-language tutoring, Kaiza took it. Learning has been tough, but Kaiza has persevered with cheerful determination. With her new-found reading skills, she feels much more connected to the outside world.

Treldon James
Trinidadian-born Treldon came to Canada when he was eight. Early schooling didn’t provide Treldon with the basic literacy skills he needed, and learning challenges continued into adulthood. After taking some adult-education classes, he found a job working at UPS, but he wanted more. He joined a literacy program and started one-to-one tutoring. Reading and writing is now much easier for Treldon and he is continuing to develop other skills, including public speaking. Event picture >

Genéva Léger
The youngest in a family of 16 children and raised on a farm, Genéva had very little schooling. She started a family but often felt unequipped to deal with the challenges she had to face, including the death of her mother and her husband’s cancer. A literacy program enabled her to gain a better understanding of things, to see life differently and to have more control over her destiny. She founded her own arts and crafts business and a small bakery and has become more independent. The dream that she has cherished since fifth grade to write a book about her ancestors will become a reality next year. Event picture >

Chantal Joubert
A shining example of excellence and perseverance for the people around her, Chantal, who has genetic predispositions not conducive to learning, lost her mother when she was 12. After working at several jobs with no potential, she enrolled in a literacy program at 42 years of age. She put in so much time and effort that she was top of her class. Thanks to these efforts, she has earned the respect of her friends and family and gained the confidence that has enabled her to open the doors to a happier life one by one. Event picture >

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Educator Winners

Lorna Armstrong
Lorna joined the Rainbow Literacy Society (RLS) in 1994 with very little formal training, but a huge commitment to literacy. Throughout the years, she has developed and adapted literacy programs to meet the needs of adult learners. Lorna is currently the Director of RLS where she coordinates seven innovative literacy programs. She was also instrumental in developing the Building Blocks Family Literacy Program, which is now used in other parts of Alberta and in British Columbia. Event picture >

Margaret O’Sullivan
Throughout her long career, Maggie has been a tenacious advocate for literacy and students from diverse backgrounds. She has been instrumental in securing funding for programs to help bring literacy and learning to those who have faced challenges, including disabilities, financial hardship and abuse. Some of these programs include institutional-based training for people on income assistance, bridging programs for battered women in transition, and the Older Worker Program. Event picture >

Margaret Harriman
In 2006, Margaret was instrumental in establishing the Salisbury Learning Center. She has created a specialized curriculum for her students based on their individual needs. Margaret has also developed new ways for students to learn, including a multiplication game called “TIMES” that has become popular with other teachers in the province. She has also done public speaking engagements on illiteracy and its impact on families and the community. Event picture >

Dr Régis Vaillancourt
Régis is currently the Director of Pharmacy at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). He has undertaken many projects to improve health literacy, empowering patients to better manage their own illness and improve their health. Examples of the tools he and his team have created include the use of pictograms to graphically illustrate basic information about medications—which have been shown to improve patient understanding of their drug therapy. Event picture >

Dr Vianne Timmons
Vianne plays a diverse role in the lives of learners, whether through teaching the next generation of teachers, researching the most effective teaching methods or implementing new programs to enrich the lives of learners. She has developed and taught literacy courses and also created the Adult Connections in Education at UPEI. She also founded Accessibility Services—a place where students with learning disabilities could come to learn in a barrier-free environment. Event picture >

Claudia Dubé
A passionate, dedicated and caring teacher, Claudia Dubé has been helping since 1982 to improve the lot of former high school drop-outs who often face problems involving drug addiction, alcoholism and abuse. Thanks to her work in literacy, she is giving them the opportunity to continue with their high school and college studies in their community, become more independent and find jobs. A volunteer with many organizations, Ms. Dubé is also becoming known at the municipal level as a councillor, among other things, and works to promote literacy in her community to obtain essential support for this cause that is dear to her. Event picture >

Thérèse Bussières-Caya
Thérèse Bussières-Caya has been a literacy teacher for more than 20 years. In 1989, motivated by the desire to help the people who need it most, she decided to devote her career to people affected by illiteracy. As part of an adult education centre, she plays a key role with immigrant women aged 30 to 50, not only as a teacher, but also as a psychologist, confidant and guide in situations that arise in their life. Her kindness and great commitment have helped hundreds of people integrate into society. Event picture >

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