Island Indigenous Elder literacy program earns national boost

National kudos means a $10,000 bump in budget for a critical literacy program aimed at healing intergenerational trauma among Indigenous people. A Greater Victoria-based organization, The Literacy Circle Society, earned honourable mention in the 2025 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Awards for its Learning for Life program. Learning for Life is a literacy program created for Indigenous Elders, residential and day school survivors and intergenerational survivors. Many Survivors were denied education and carry trauma that makes traditional classrooms inaccessible. Learning for Life offers a safe, culturally responsive alternative that supports healing, skill-building, and reconnection to community. Each session begins with a shared meal, followed by learner-led instruction in reading, writing, storytelling and basic math, tailored to each participant’s needs in a supportive group setting. Every learner is paired with a dedicated advocate who helps with logistics including transportation and addresses broader challenges such as housing or healthcare. The Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association earned the top nod and $20,000 and KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation in Ontario was named a second honourable mention, also receiving $10,000 in funding. The Literacy Circle Society offers programs in Greater Victoria and Nanaimo with new sessions starting in the fall. Learn more online at theliteracycircle.ca [https://www.theliteracycircle.ca/].