Literacy helps us explore our world, shape our ideas, develop our potential, crystallise as people, and ultimately express ourselves as individuals — to sing from our own song sheet. - Quentin Bryce, former Governor-General of Australia
SUGGESTED ACTION
1. Build and strengthen connections between people who provide services
- Drawing on your research into what resources are available (from Step 1), get to know organisations in your area that are providing literacy support.
- Develop a local referral guide setting out what specific literacy support is available in your area. For ideas about where to start, see information about statewide services at www.26ten.tas.gov.au.
- Make sure there are many places where people can be referred to for the support they need.
- Offer opportunities for people from different organisations providing literacy support to meet up and learn about each other’s programs.
- Encourage people who provide services to work together, share resources and volunteers, and refer to each other. Support these activities with written agreements where this is helpful.
- Consider using a “warm referral” approach, where the person seeking support is personally introduced to someone who can help them. This helps put them at ease and also reduces the chances of them getting lost in the system.
2. Involve people from your community
- Encourage local people to become involved as volunteer tutors. Make sure you set up ongoing support for them, such as regular social catch-ups and the opportunity for further skills development.
- Invite local people to help out with promoting 26TEN within their local neighbourhoods and the wider community.
3. Involve workplaces
- Encourage people who work in businesses, community organisations and government departments to find ways to make their workplaces literacy-friendly.