The 27th annual Peter Gzowski Invitational Golf (PGI) tournament was held at Belvedere Golf Course, an event which is held right across the country.
Amanda Beazley, acting executive director with the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance, said the event gets bigger and bigger every year.
The 2017 entry had 28 teams, up from 23 last year and that helped to raise the dollar figure. The golf tournament averages $35,000 a year.
“This money goes directly into program development delivery for the literacy alliance so we provide free programs to Islanders,’’ Beazley said. “We work with children all summer, providing free tutoring right across the Island in all the public libraries so it helps them beat the summer slide. They go back to school ready to learn and keep up their reading levels and their writing and math all summer.’’
The alliance also has volunteers who work with adults one on one.
“We end up catching that population that doesn’t really have anywhere to go, so they’re not ready to study for their GED but they want to improve their reading and writing skills. They come to us and we match them with a tutor and they work one to one with each other, which is great. It’s really helpful to build learner confidence.’’
Cathy Favaro, one of those tutors, said there is nothing like helping someone do something they never thought they could do.
“It’s a wonderful thing to be part of that process where you guide them,’’ Favaro said. “I mean, you’re not doing it for them. You’re giving them the skills and tools to be able to be independent and do it themselves.’’
Favaro said it takes an incredible amount of courage for an adult to admit to someone they can’t read or write and then ask for help.
“I admire anybody who steps out of their comfort level and wants to do something but has to step forward to ask for help. It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s never easy when you’re making yourself vulnerable.’’
Beazley said little by little literacy numbers are moving in the right direction in P.E.I. but it’s a long process.
“There are lots of people who just need a little bit of help to fill in some gaps and there are others who need help to fill in bigger gaps and that’s what we’re here for.’’
By the numbers
- 45 per cent of working aged Islanders have low literacy skills
- An average of 500 Islanders participate in P.E.I. Literacy Alliance Family Literacy Day celebrations each year
- 70 elementary students from the Charlottetown area will attend free reading, writing and math camps each year
- 10,788 children have been helped by alliance’s summer tutoring program for kids; 381 post-secondary students have been given meaningful employment through the program
- Over 21,000 books have been given to children and families in free books program
- $139,250 has been awarded to adult learners working towards their GED through bursary program
Source: P.E.I. Literacy Alliance
