2025 was a year of resilience and progress for literacy across British Columbia.

Communities, partners and literacy organizations rallied together with creativity and determination, launching new fundraising initiatives and strengthening support for newcomer families at a time when federal funding cuts posed real challenges.

Amid this shifting landscape, Decoda Literacy and literacy organizations across BC celebrated many highlights. We added partnerships, expanded training opportunities and reported inspiring success stories from every corner of the province.

More British Columbians participated in literacy programs during the 2024-25 program year. Community literacy activity reported a 12% increase in youth and children participation, and a 15% increase in adults and seniors engaging in efforts to improve their own or their children’s literacy skills.

With a focus on community engagement, we launched new campaigns including Save IPALS and Give a Book, Give Literacy to strengthen literacy programs in more than 400 BC communities.

Thank you to all our funders, including government partners, foundations, corporations and individual donors. Your support makes our work possible. Every program, every learner reached and every story of success this year exists because of your commitment to literacy in British Columbia.

Highlights from 2025

January: Family Literacy Week

• Family Literacy Week inspired families to embrace eco-friendly habits with the theme “Learn to be Green, Together.”
• Shared green activities that promoted literacy and held a colouring contest.
• Launched the Save IPALS campaign to support the Immigrant Parents as Literacy Supporters program.
• Shared real family successes in IPALS: Empowering newcomer families through learning and play.
• Partnered with Strong Nations Publishing for a wish list to expand Indigenous materials in the Decoda Library.
• RBC employee volunteers helped assemble literacy kits and Decoda received a $1,500 grant from the RBC Communities Together Fund.

February: Investing in newcomer families

• Highlighted how Investing in Newcomer Families Strengthens the Economy with programs like Immigrant Parents as Literacy Supporters.
• Decoda staff joined Vancouver’s 34th annual Women’s Memorial March.

March: A call to action

• Published Help Save IPALS: A Call to Action to raise funds for the Immigrant Parents as Literacy Supporters program.
• Held a weekly book draw for Decoda library patrons.
• Presented at I-Care Adult Literacy Program Lunch & Learn at Douglas College.

April: Adult literacy survey insights shared, new library partner

• Partnered with publisher Prace PageTurners on a wish list to add more easy-to-read materials for adult learners to the Decoda Library.
• Shared Insights from Canada’s Adult Literacy Survey, the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).
• Presented at the Literacy and Learning Symposium 2025 in Edmonton.
• Promoted Vancouver Sun Run and Raise-a-Reader fundraising.
• RBC volunteers helped assemble family literacy materials for IPALS programs and Decoda received a $1,500 grant from the RBC Communities Together Fund.

May: New library partner, Parents As Literacy Supporters promoted

• Partnered with Saunders Book Company on a wish list to add more books related to Canadian history, mental health and digital literacy to the Decoda Library.
• Promoted planned giving in Your Legacy Gift to Literacy can change lives.
• Highlighted the Aboriginal Parents as Literacy Supporters (ABPALS) program in Supporting Indigenous families’ literacy and culture.
• Shared IPALS program successes in Family literacy builds bridges for newcomers.
• Celebrated children’s gains in Learners thrive in Fostering Literacy tutor program.
• Presented at:
  • Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy’s (CBAL) Learning for Life Conference
  • 2025 ABEABC Conference (The Westcoast Reader feature)

June: BC Summer Reading Club celebrated

• Promoted the BC Summer Reading Club.
• Thanked LitGirlGames for a charity fundraising stream in How a gaming community raised $1,500 for literacy.
• Connected with and toured The Gathering Place Community Centre Library.

July: Summer hires, big impact

• Welcomed two summer students supporting library and media projects. Learn about their contributions in Summer Hires, Big Impact.
• We shared Decoda staff summer reading blogs and summer reading tips for children.

August: Province invested in adult literacy

• The Province invested $3.4 million to support the Community Adult Literacy Program (CALP).

September: Literacy Month celebrated

• Launched a new initiative, “Give a Book. Give Literacy.” to encourage book donations to BC organizations.
• Raised awareness and funds for literacy programs during September is Literacy Month, with the theme “Literacy: The Ripple Effect.”
  • The Team Trivia Challenge winners were Defending Champions.
  • The Top Fundraising Team was The Quizzbians and received a $2000 matching gift from our Literacy Champion sponsor Megan Sutherland of BMO Nesbitt-Burns. Watch video highlights from the Team Trivia Challenge.
• Raised $35,000 for Fostering Literacy with generous help from corporate sponsors and donors.
• Celebrated 10 years of Socks for Literacy! fundraising with Blue Sky Clothing, now totaling $107,677 for BC literacy programs.
• Shared staff videos about the ripple effects of literacy.
• Shared a publisher highlight video about Strong Nations books.
• Promoted Postmedia Raise-A-Reader Week.
• Shared tutoring success in Fostering Literacy – A Fun Place to Learn.
• The BC government donated $500,000 to the Postmedia Raise-a-Reader campaign, supporting family literacy across the province.

October: Strategic planning, Literacy Month success stories

• RBC volunteers assembled family literacy materials IPALS and Decoda received a $1,500 grant from the RBC Communities Together Fund.
• Shared three BC organizations’ Literacy Month successes in Books, Bytes and Big Hearts: BC Celebrates Literacy.
• Decoda staff and board met for strategic planning to set goals and priorities for the next three years.
• Exhibited Decoda Library at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Wellness Fair.

November: New fundraising options

• Added two new ways to support Decoda:
  • Return-It Express (donate bottle return funds)
  • Donate A Car Canada (vehicle resale/recycling proceeds)
• Soft-launched the new Decoda Community Database.

December: AGM, Board changes, Annual Report

• Held our annual AGM, thanked our continuing Board Directors and welcomed new directors, Wanda Frisk and Jennifer Cliff-Marks.
• Published the 2024-25 Annual Report.
• Launched Decoda’s new Digital Library with 208 downloadable PDFs.

Throughout the year

• Our Read All About Lit blog highlighted literacy resources.
• The Decoda Literacy Library loaned more than 289 physical resources and people clicked on digital resources 2445 times.
• We hosted 15 professional development webinars on 13 topics, attracting a total attendance of 594 literacy practitioners.
• With an average readership of 60,000, we published 10 issues of The Westcoast Reader, a newspaper and online resource for learners seeking to improve their English reading and language skills.
• We shared literacy news, resources and events to our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. We also joined the Bluesky platform.
• We supported a network of 98 Literacy Outreach Coordinators who provide community-based literacy programs in over 400 BC communities.
• We supported 18 IPALS programs, serving more than 300 immigrant families who learned new strategies to support their child’s learning in fun and interactive ways, while responding to their cultural and linguistic needs.
• We provided BC’s 102 Community Adult Literacy Programs (CALP) with training, resources and support.

Planning 2026…

We’re getting ready for Family Literacy Week January 25-February 1, 2026 with the theme “Make mealtime family learning time.”

Your support makes a difference

None of our work would be possible without assistance from government funders, corporate partners, private foundations and individual donors.

To renew your support in 2026, donate today!

DONATE

We look forward to another year of growth, impact and shared successes. Thank you for being part of our journey.

About us

Decoda Literacy Solutions is BC’s provincial literacy organization. We support community-based literacy programs and initiatives in over 400 communities across BC by providing resources, training and funds.

Our work supports children and families, youth, adults, Indigenous and immigrant communities to help build strong individuals, strong families and strong communities.