Our Work
We achieve our mission by offering children mentoring opportunities, read-aloud events, and free book distribution programs. Our primary goal is to empower the children we serve to become proficient readers, passionate learners, and self-assured individuals, thereby enhancing their inner confidence.
Programs
Centre Littéraire Éveil fosters children’s development through the magic of reading. Our three programs offer children exciting opportunities to learn and grow through books. See below for more information about our programs and how you can support our work.
Elder Readers
Elder Readers is a reading mentorship initiative that pairs community volunteers with school-aged children to read together for an hour each week during the school year. Unlike other programs, Elder Readers does not follow strict lesson plans or mandated curriculums. Our mentors are not focused on teaching children to read. Instead, the program emphasizes providing children with a safe, non-judgmental environment to practice reading and discover a love for books. Additionally, the personal attention from a mentor fosters the development of essential social-emotional skills, which are crucial for success both in the classroom and in life.
Read-Aloud
A read-aloud program unites children and volunteers through shared book reading and guided discussions. Participants in the read-aloud sessions also receive a complimentary book to take home, adding to their personal collections. During the sessions, volunteers read books aloud to the group, demonstrating positive literacy practices and fostering enthusiasm for reading. The chosen books introduce age-appropriate themes, such as resilience and empathy, to the children. Special guest readers can share books that relate to their own life experiences, including their career paths or overcoming obstacles to achieve success. The read-aloud program also provides an opportunity to explore significant topics like racial justice and social equality through literature. These guided group reading experiences broaden children’ perspectives and expose them to new ideas and opportunities while strengthening their core literacy skills.
The Book Project
The presence of books in a child’s home significantly influences their literacy development, academic success, and overall growth. To support this, CLÉ is dedicated to providing children across Canada with home libraries stocked with captivating, empowering, and inspirational stories that will encourage a lifelong love of reading. Through The Book Project, books are given to all Elder Readers and Read-Aloud participants, and large-scale giveaway events are organized annually, distributing thousands of books directly to children.
Why We Needed These Programs
Without intervention there is a high probability that children across Canada, and especially those in the under-served communities will fail to graduate and successfully transition into adulthood prepared for self-sufficiency. In fact, more than one million children in Canada are estimated to have below grade-level reading skills. Approximately 25 per cent of Grade 3 children in Canada are not reading at grade level. Moreover, children in underserved communities are almost twice as likely to be behind in early development skills as high-socioeconomic status peers.
Our Theory of Change
CLÉ’s programmatic work is grounded in Theory of Change models aligned to each program. These models show the links that occur from the start of a program, through implementation, to the ultimate desired end goals and demonstrate that with our CLÉ inputs, we are driving significant, impactful outcomes for children and families. At the heart of our organization, we believe—and research shows—that giving children choice and access to own new, age-appropriate books is positively tied to improved reading behaviors. This model has a positive impact on reading and writing performance, language development, and academic performance in other subjects.
Make a Donation
Your donation will go towards general program support. Current programs include one-on-one mentoring, read-aloud activities, and a book distribution effort and reach thousands of children each across Canada.
If you want to donate, please email us at [email protected]