Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy

Formed in 1978 by concerned groups and individuals to support and promote adult literacy in the region, MTML is a network of people and ideas concerned about adult literacy. Our mission is to provide a voice for adult literacy in Toronto and York Region. As the regional literacy network, we collaborate with our members to share knowledge, build awareness and promote confidence and lifelong learning needed to better participate in the community.

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Our work is focused on the following functions:

Raising awareness fosters the promotion of action of adult literacy, improving adults' access to good literacy services. Whether responding to questions about adult literacy from the media, participating in public events, or researching and distributing information on changes in the educational system, MTML is dedicated to raising public awareness on adult literacy issues.Through various partnerships with the City of Toronto, the Ontario Literacy Coaltion, The Word On The Street, and a variety of other partners and allies we are working to educate the public and create awareness about the importance of adult basic literacy for our communities.

Through our Literacy Access Network, the adult literacy referral hotline for Toronto and York Region, MTML is dedicated to providing accurate information to allow callers to make informed decisions about their adult literacy choices. This commitment to quality referral is a first step to ensuring that callers find access to lifelong learning opportunities.

416-961-5557 Literacy Access Network Telephone Referral Hotline

In our information-based society, getting an actual person on the phone seems to be getting more and more difficult. But for people who have difficulty with the written word/world, this is often their preferred means for gathering information. Callers speak to a real person who will provide informed and sensitive referrals. Literacy learners, their families, social service intermediaries, and volunteers can call LAN to find out about literacy programs in their area. Literacy program information is also provided online through our Literacy Access Network Online Referral Database at www.mtml.ca/lan. Intended for literacy workers, educators, and social service intermediaries, the online referral database provides detailed, up-to-date information on all the literacy and upgrading programs in Toronto and York Region.

By responding to the needs of members, MTML strives to deliver relevant professional development to people interested in adult literacy. Workshops, seminars, forums, and other materials are developed and presented by MTML and its members. MTML works to provide professional development that will help in the delivery of good literacy programming in our region. Presently, professional development is being coordinated through two professional development working groups, comprised of literacy workers from agencies in Toronto and York Region.

The MTML community planning process brings literacy providers from across Toronto and York Region together in local literacy committees. These committees work together to coordinate services, and achieve common standards on assessment and practice so that the needs of literacy learners are properly addressed. A top priority for the committees is to ensure that people with literacy needs have access to the kinds of literacy programs they need. Each year, with the participation of all the literacy programs in Toronto and York Region, MTML completes the Literacy Services Plan. This process provides an environmental scan of literacy services across along with a detailed report of literacy programming to the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities. With profiles and statistics from each literacy program, this document informs solutions to the literacy problem in Toronto and York Region.

MTML is involved in adult literacy research projects, and stays current on projects in other regions, in order to continue the development of the literacy field. Receiving input from people interested in literacy and informing them of the findings, builds a path for new, innovative ways to deliver services. MTML has been involved in a number of research projects, visit our resources page to read more

MTML stays in touch with its membership through monthly newsletters and information sessions, as well as through the day-to-day workings of the organization. Information on the literacy movement in our region and elsewhere is collected and distributed, helping to insure an informed literacy community. Our monthly newsletter is delivered in hard copy, on-line, and email. Community information is also delivered between issues via email to literacy agencies across the region. Visit the newsletter archive at www.mtml.ca.