About ABC Life Literacy Canada
ABC Life Literacy Canada is a national charitable organization that champions literacy by empowering adult learners, raising awareness, and supporting the adult learning sector.
We develop and support the use of foundational learning materials and help to build the capacity of the sector by convening and connecting the adult literacy community, and advocating for skills programming.
We envision a Canada where everyone has the skills and opportunities to fully participate in learning, life, and work.
Core Services
- Develop, publish, and distribute foundational learning materials.
- Support access to those materials by providing them at no cost to educators and learners.
- Build awareness of the importance of helping adult learners and families improve their literacy skills.
- Advocate for literacy skills programming and for the adult foundational learning sector.
- Build the capacity of the sector by convening and connecting the adult literacy community.
Vision
We envision a Canada where everyone has the skills and opportunities to fully participate in learning, life, and work.
Mission
ABC Life Literacy Canada champions literacy in Canada by empowering adult learners, raising awareness, and by collaborating with and supporting the adult learning sector.
Values
- Learning: We pursue new knowledge, perspectives, and ways of working.
- Collaboration: We work together constructively as a team and with other organizations.
- Integrity: We are fair, reliable, and transparent across our communications, relationships, and activities.
- Access: We make it easier for people to access learning opportunities.
Advocacy
ABC Life Literacy Canada is an advocate for adult literacy in Canada. Our efforts in the community, nationally and internationally include:
- Awareness Campaigns: Developing and deploying multi-media literacy awareness campaigns, sharing success stories and current statistics to help inform the general public about the critical impacts of low literacy and directing them to free programming to help improve skills. Learn more about our awareness campaigns.
- Innovation Learning Labs: Spearheading thought leadership and building community capacity and connection through discussion and innovative best practice sharing. Learn more about the Labs.
- Programs and Research Committee: Bringing together key members of the literacy and education community to analyze and discuss leading research and program advancements in adult and family literacy.
- National Literacy Alliance: Founding member of the Alliance, a collective of national, provincial/territorial and grassroots literacy organizations committed to the development of a National Literacy Strategy with a unified voice to support learners of all ages. Read The Case for a National Literacy Strategy.
- Working groups and expert panels: Represented Canadian adult literacy sector in G7 Employment Working Group: Workforce Resilience Panel; key participant in financial literacy impact measurement research with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada; expert advisor to the International Adult Literacy Forum; expert advisor to The Root Causes of Low Literacy in Canada research project; invited participant in the Financial Industry Forum on Artificial Intelligence.
- Pre-budget submissions: Collaborating with the adult literacy sector to submit and consult on pre-budget recommendations on behalf of the sector. Read our 2025 pre-budget consultation submission.
- Media Source for Literacy: Authoritative source for literacy in Canada, participating in media interviews across all channels and with outlets across the country. Read our News Posts.
Our History
1990 • ABC CANADA launched
ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation launches on September 8, 1990, during International Literacy Year. Launched by a group of influential business, education, and labour leaders to raise awareness for literacy and enlist the active participation of the private sector in supporting the issue.
1990 • First awareness campaign
First national awareness campaign Read with your children launches to raise awareness of the importance of engaging in literacy activities as a family. Support from the media and advertising industries provides millions of dollars annually to awareness campaigns.
1991 • The PGI Golf Tournaments for Literacy
The PGI Golf Tournaments for Literacy tees off. Started as the Peter Gzowski Invitationals, by radio broadcaster Peter Gzowski, the PGIs are held in every province and territory. Tournaments are organized locally with every dollar raised remaining in that community to support local literacy programs with more than $10 million raised.
1994 • LEARN program
The LEARN program connects adults with literacy programs to improve reading, writing and math skills with support of Yellow Pages publishers across Canada. LEARN fills the literacy gap – hundreds of literacy programs across Canada with only a small percentage of adults aware of their programming.
1995 • Workplace Education Centre
Workplace Education Centre is open for business to help develop the field of workplace education across Canada. The centre provides corporations and unions with needs assessments and connects organizations with local adult literacy providers.
1996 • Literacy Stamp
The first literacy stamp with a hole in it is developed with Canada Post and sold for an additional 5¢. Sales resulted in over $250,000 raised and distributed to family literacy programs across Canada.
1997 • Moving Forward: A Forum on Workplace Education
Moving Forward: A Forum on Workplace Education conference brings together 280 participants from the literacy, labour, government, education, corporate, and HR industries to explore issues in the rapidly growing field of workplace education.
1999 • Family Literacy Day
Family Literacy Day is born on January 27, 1999 with support from Honda Canada, to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. ABC Life Literacy creates a national bilingual awareness campaign each year as well as free learning and promotional materials to help community partners and families celebrate.
Become a Partner
Interested in exploring corporate philanthropy and sponsorship? Contact us for a discussion.