World Literacy of Canada

Why start a University chapter at your school? 

Post secondary students are some of the most inspired, empowered and active individuals in society. WLC stands for many prominent issues that you probably already feel passionately about, including women’s rights, children’s education, promoting literacy, global citizenship and social consciousness. Extending WLC chapters into the academic world provides students with an opportunity to combine forces and achieve the change you wish to see in the world as well as to network with other youth who are looking to achieve the same goals.

What’s in it for me?

Besides helping WLC Canada achieve the awareness it needs to thrive, you will meet other students just like yourself, become more “marketable” after school, and have a generally more satisfying education experience. Getting involved with WLC provides an opportunity to strengthen your leadership skills, initiative, and cultural knowledge in a variety of ways. Also, if you are looking to pursue a career in social work, education or any other area that WLC touches on, chances are you will make some valuable connections through your chapter. 

How do I start?

You can start by tracking down some like minded students who also believe that literacy is a key to success. Together, come up with a mission statement. Some sample mission statements to get you started are as follows:

"The World Literacy of Canada University Chapter at the University of Toronto believes that literacy is a basic human right. We promote this right by raising awareness and funds to provide scholarships for youth in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh."

Or ...

"The World Literacy of Canada University Chapter at Queen's University aims to promote the cause of literacy by engaging university students in meaningful discussions on the topic of literacy and by encouraging their own personal growth through the literary arts."

Next, think of what actions you will need to take to achieve your goals.  Do you want to make a monthly publication celebrating literacy and distribute it among the student body? Do you want to host a weekly poetry slam? Do you want to simply raise awareness for the WLC? Every student chapter will have a different approach to supporting the WLC. Some ideas for goals and activities include:

- Starting a collective blog

- Creating a book club

- Planning trips to literary venues in your area, such as festivals or events

- Hosting fundraising events in order to sponsor a child’s education through the WLC scholarship project for $300.00 per year. More info can be found at http://www.worldlit.ca/scholarship

- Planning school or community wide events for days such as Ghandi Day – Oct. 2, or International Women's Day - Mar 8.

- Hosting a used book sale to raise funds for your chapter

- Planning literary events of your own, teaming up with other fellow artists around your school, such as an art showing, poetry slam, silent auctions, or film nights

How do I go about setting up a meeting?

1.    Organize a school or community meeting to get other people interested and involved. Pick a place: it could be your house, at school, a public library, or a community centre. Make sure it is wheelchair accessible, in a well-lit area, close to public transit (if you have public transit in your area).
 
2.   Set a time when most people can probably come – e.g. after school, after work, lunchtime or a weekend.
 
3.  Get the word out! Send a notice over email lists and to your friends, put up posters, make an announcement over the P.A., phone up people.
 
4.  Set an agenda. Make a list of items you need to discuss and take action on. If possible, make             copies of the agenda and/or post it up somewhere in the meeting room.
 
Your agenda might look something like this:
 
1.       Check-In: Welcome everyone and let them know what you have planned for the evening. Pass around a sign-in sheet to get names, phone numbers & emails. If people don’t know each other, go around the room and ask people to introduce themselves & why they’re here. If they know each other already, this can be a time to share what ideas they have to bring to the meeting & what they want to discuss. Ask someone to be a ‘minute-taker’ and make notes about everything being said.
 
2.       Set some group rules that everyone should try to follow. Examples: Do not interrupt people when speaking; Make sure people from marginalized backgrounds have time to speak.
 
3.       Brainstorm some ideas for a project the group could take on. It’s good to have a project so that you have a clear goal to work towards.
 
4.       Make an action plan! Make a list of everything that needs to get done, and when it has to be done by. Have different people responsible for different tasks. Decide what you want to have done for the next meeting.
 
5.       Set a time & place for your next meeting.
 
6.       Check out: Go around the room again & ask people if they
               have anything else to say - any questions or comments.
 
How do I go about planning an event?
 
Make a list of what needs to be done, by who and by when.  Meet on a regular basis (e.g. every week, once a month etc) to keep each other updated and on track.  Keep a folder/binder of all the notes, contacts, and info you collect. Make contact lists: people you need to contact, media, group members, resources and any other useful info.  Set up a listserv to keep the group connected online.  Set up a group email or Facebook group for all emails related to your project.
 
What about fundraising?
 
Make a budget first – think about everything you need to organize your event and estimate about hope much each item would cost. If you’re unsure, double check by looking at the different stores you need to get supplies from. Then, decide how you want to fundraise. You could collect cash donations and in-kind donations (materials, supplies, office space etc)or host a special event in which money is collected.
 
If you decide to go with donations, decide who you want to ask for money, and who you want to ask for in-kind donations. Find organizations, small businesses, and school/college/university groups who would be interested in the issues you are raising. Make a list of all the potential donors with all their contact info: telephone numbers, fax numbers, email and mailing address. Know what your group and event is all about, and try to summarize it in a few sentences so people know exactly what you’re doing when you talk over the phone or in a meeting. Write-up a letter to the donor with a description of your project, a little bit about your group, how your project fits into what the organization/business is all about and your contact info. Next, phone up the potential donor and ask if you can send them your letter. Make sure you send it to the right person and get their name spelled right. Send them the letter, and phone them back in 2-3 days to find out what they think. They may want to have a meeting with you first. Be prepared and on time! Be sure to know exactly what your project is about and what exactly you want from them. If they give you a donation, send a thank you letter or card right away, and keep them updated on how your project is going
 
What are some other projects my chapter can work on?

You could write a letter to the editor. This can be an effective manner of addressing issues of bias in the media. There are several things to keep in mind when writing a letter:
 
· You can respond to both negative and positive portrayals. (While anger towards a negative portrayal may fuel a pithy response, newspapers like to receive praise and, if the end result is improved
coverage, then by all means take advantage of the opportunity).
· Respond as quickly as possible. Try to get your letter off on the day, or the day after, the story you wish to comment on was published.
· Keep your response brief. An effective letter can be as short as 50-100 words.
· Make sure you refer in the first sentence to the article which prompted your response.
· Be succinct. Do not wander from the one or two points you wish to make.
· Be forceful, but not inflammatory. Do not attack the writer of the story; rather, challenge the representation.
· If you are sending your letter via e-mail, include the letter in the text, not as an attachment. Many newspapers are unable to receive the transmission of attachments.

Sample Letter to the Editor (Fictive)
June 23, 2003
Dear Sir or Madam,
Your newspaper’s otherwise thorough coverage of the hostage taking in Pakistan (India Air Hostages Freed - June 23) lacked one pertinent bit of information. When the Globe & Mail uses the phrase
“Islamic militant group”, you ought to supply your readers with an explanation of the connection between the group’s faith and their objectives. After all, “Islamic” and “militant” are not synonomous!
In this case, the group in question’s militancy was political, and not religious, in nature.
Jane Ménard, Fair Say
 
Another project could be a power petition. ”No one listens to me!” How many times have you said that? It’s a common complaint. But you can do something about it. You can collect other voices and create a louder noise — one that’s harder for people to ignore. A petition is a paper with signatures to prove that many people agree with your position. It’s a demonstration of group strength. It can be a very powerful tool in gaining the attention you might need for your problem or project.
· Most of the time, you’ll want to use regular 8 1/2" by 11" paper to describe your problem and collect signatures. But this isn’t essential.
· Give your petition a title (for example, “Petition Against Discrimination”).
· Identify your group.
· Identify the official or agency that will receive your petition.
· Write a statement describing the problem you want to resolve or the plan you’re proposing. This should appear at the top of every petition page so that people can’t say they didn’t understand what
they were signing. If you plan to take your petition door-to-door, never go alone.
· Provide blank lines after your statement for people to write any or all of these:
-Their signature
-Their class, grade, or group
-Their school or hometown
-Their address and phone number
· Smile! The better you treat the people you meet, the more likely they’ll sign your petition.
· When you’re through collecting signatures, photocopy all the pages of your petition. Keep the copy in a safe place. You may need proof of the signatures later, if your original petition is lost. Present your petition to someone who has power to act on your ideas.
 
How can I spread the word about my new chapter?

Networking is the act of getting to know people who can help you out.  When you organize an event or project, people are more likely to participate and to get others to do the same if they know & trust you
You can get more widespread community support for your event/ project if you know people. You’d be surprised how much your friends & acquaintances can do for you.
 
The best networking happens informally- you network all the time without realizing it whenever you meet new people at meetings, parties, gatherings, workshops, school, family functions, and virtually
any other social event. All the people you meet have skills, talents, knowledge and other connections that can help you out at one point or another.  People often attend conferences, workshops and other events related to social and environmental issues hoping to meet likeminded individuals & discuss the organizing they are doing. At some of these events, there may even be a special time set aside
for networking. When you talk to friends, family, and others that you know, they will often refer you to someone that can help you out, or tell that person about you.