Chapter One Canada: Transforming Children's Futures with 1:1 Reading Support

Chapter One is a global education nonprofit that envisions a world where all children have the literacy skills needed to thrive. For more than 30 years, we have worked tirelessly to close the literacy gap in high-need communities by providing children with one-to-one reading support at the time they need it the most. Established as a Canadian charity in 2018, we have grown 50-100% each year, increasing the number of children served by 10X over the last five years. Now serving 1800 children in seven provinces and territories and counting, we partner with families, schools, and a growing network of sponsor companies and volunteers to deliver high-impact tutoring programs that help children learn to read in their pivotal first years of school. 90% of the students we currently support are Indigenous, living on or near a reserve.

Our vision is a world where all children have the literacy skills needed to thrive.

Our values are:

• Literacy: We believe that literacy is a basic human right and a powerful tool for social change.
• Equity: We believe that every child deserves access to quality education and support.
• Innovation: We believe that we can always find new and better ways to achieve our goals.
• Collaboration: We believe that we can accomplish more by working together with diverse partners and stakeholders. 
• Excellence: We believe that we can deliver high-quality programs and services by holding ourselves accountable, performing rigorous research, and striving for continuous improvement.

Every year in Canada, 100,000 children complete Grade 3 unable to keep up with their reading in Grade 4. These children are then 4X less likely to graduate, missing out on opportunities it creates, including a good job, being able to support a family, and advocating for their communities. That reality is more pronounced with Indigenous peoples, who have lower overall literacy levels among their youth, leading to higher rates of unemployment and poverty. (StatCan).

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the education of millions of children, especially those from low-income, marginalized, and remote communities. These children face a learning gap that can have lasting consequences for their future. That's why Chapter One is dedicated to providing crucial 1:1 reading tutoring for young children who need it the most.

Our mission is to help every child develop a love of reading and a strong foundation for learning. We do this by offering three innovative programs that are tailored to the needs and preferences of the communities we serve:

High Impact Tutoring: Personalized and Effective Instruction

Our specially trained Early Literacy Interventionists (ELIs) use proprietary software to provide daily face-to-face, 1:1 instruction to children in Grades 1-3. They use evidence-based strategies and adaptive curriculum to help each child progress at their own pace. This year, we are also offering high-impact tutoring to children at home on their families' smartphones, ensuring that no child is left behind.

Online Reading Volunteers: Building Confidence and Joy

Our online reading volunteers are caring adults who share their passion for reading with children in participating classrooms. They spend 30 minutes each week during the school year as remote reading buddies, sharing stories and playing games together. They help children build confidence and reading for pleasure, while also providing positive role models and mentors.

Co-Creating Indigenous Storybooks: Celebrating Culture and Language

Chapter One is developing a series of original e-storybooks co-created with the Indigenous communities we serve. Themes are identified by Indigenous education leaders and written and illustrated by Indigenous artists. To support Indigenous language revitalization, the storybooks include phonetic spellings and audio clips of native speakers pronouncing Indigenous words embedded into the e-books. This way, students, families, and volunteers can explore some of the original language and culture of the communities together while helping young children learn to read. These storybooks and more are available through the Global Free Library at library.chapterone.org.

By supporting Chapter One Canada, you are helping us transform children's futures with 1:1 reading support. Join us today and make a difference in the lives of thousands of children across Canada.

Thank you for your generosity and compassion.