Executive Director Message: Summer Updates and 2025-26 Impact Highlights

Hello everyone! What an absolutely incredible year it has been for the Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society. As B.B. King once said, "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." Stepping into this role, I've been so energized by the sheer volume of passion and dedication our team has brought to our expanded programs, our wonderful new staff, and the many new partnerships we've forged across the community. From seeing 45 elementary students boost their reading skills to running lively, budget-friendly workshops for adults, this year has proven that literacy is fun, connecting, and truly transformative. We are especially grateful for the generous three-year investment of $150,000 from BHP, which makes so much of this work possible.

As you read through the amazing impact highlights below (and photos!), I hope you feel the same excitement that we do about the future. Together, we can keep this fantastic momentum going and help even more families thrive—if you feel inspired to partner with us or make a donation, every contribution helps us write the next success story. Jessica Brown, Executive Director ed@mwfamilyliteracy.org

Please note: Mother Goose programs are paused during July and August.

Literacy Program & Event Impact Highlights and Photos

August 2025 to May 2026

• 45 elementary school students improved their reading skills in our ONE-to-ONE and Fostering Literacy tutoring programs.

• Children took home free books. To help build a love of reading, this year, we gave away 400 books at our annual Literacy Fair and other community events like the Fall Fair and Port Hardy Autumn Festival, as well as the annual Christmas Book Box tradition. 

• Families learned together through stories, crafts and connection in Mother Goose On the Go programs in Sointula, Port McNeill and Port Hardy.

• 9 adult learners built confidence and skills at drop-in sessions to practice reading, writing or technology.

• 140 people improved their skills during 20 workshops including financial literacy, smart grocery shopping and cooking, supported by our new mobile kitchen.  

•  Hands-on learning experiences centered around food, health, and connection. The Cooks and Books series at Vancouver Island Regional Library branches continues through the summer with Energy Balls and Sauces & Popcorn Spices workshops.

• New executive director Jessica Brown now leads the team.

• More adult learners will be supported with the addition of Adult Literacy Coordinators Jeanne James-Hory and Denise Idle. 

• Families celebrated Family Literacy Week with the theme “Make mealtime family learning time” at the Kitchen Connections Pie Party at Port Hardy Recreation. 

• BHP invested $150,000 over three years to support community learning.

• Teens built skills and confidence, from joining an online pizza cooking class to working as paid reading tutors for children. 

• Community voices shaped our work. Residents shared top needs like reading support, mental health and food literacy in our Community Learning Needs Survey.

• We showed up in the community. Our team shared activities, resources and program information at Seedy Saturday, the Mount Waddington Fall Fair, Culture and Creativity Day, and Port Hardy Autumn Festival. 

• Our team kept learning, bringing back new ideas from the Decoda Literacy Conference.

Jeanne, Jessica and Kelly joined in on a 'purple for literacy' themed photo session at the Decoda Literacy Conference.

The Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society works with communities, schools and organizations to support literacy and learning for all ages on North Vancouver Island. Visit the MWFLS website to learn about their free programs at: mwfamilyliteracy.org