Literacy Department
Free literacy services for adults in conflict with the law
More than just reading and writing, literacy is the power to transform your life.
Our literacy programs help participants improve the basic literacy skills they need for school, work, parenting, and community participation.
Building literacy skills can be very empowering for people who have had negative experiences with school or who have never had the opportunity to develop a love of learning.
Through our work we hope to give our participants tools not only to improve their lives but also to use their voices and share their experiences.
On this page: Community Literacy Tutoring | Drop-in Literacy Services | Get The Story Out | The Inside Scoop | Literacy Workbooks | Contact Us
Community Literacy Tutoring
In our one-to-one tutoring program, learners set their own literacy goals and work with volunteer tutors to meet them through weekly or biweekly tutoring sessions.
Students can improve their reading, writing, and math skills, as well as general educational upgrading.
We also have a lending library of fiction, non-fiction, and magazines for participants to read.
Please note that we cannot offer high school level courses or credits, nor do we give out diplomas or degrees.
Drop-in Literacy Services
At our literacy classroom, community members can drop in and get help with any of the following:
We are an accredited Manitoba Adult Literacy and Learning program and can help people study for CAEC (formerly GED). In addition, cookies, coffee, and books from our library are always available.
Get the Story Out
It can be difficult for incarcerated fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and brothers to stay connected to their families. Get the Story Out provides an opportunity for them to read a storybook to the children in their lives and maintain their relationship long-distance.
How the program works
Volunteers meet with inmates at the Winnipeg Remand Centre, Headingley Correctional Centre, Milner Ridge Correctional Centre, and Stony Mountain Institution, and record them reading a storybook. The recording is saved to a CD, gift-wrapped with the book, and sent to the child.
Please note: Books and recordings can only be sent if the child or child’s caregiver does not have a no-contact order against the program participant, and as long as the caregiver agrees to accept the gift.
The Inside Scoop
The Inside Scoop is a magazine filled with poetry, stories, editorials, and artwork submitted by currently and formerly incarcerated folks across the country. It is published four times a year and sent to correctional facilities across Canada.
We welcome submissions from all currently and formerly incarcerated writers and artists! Please include a signed waiver with your submission (found on the back page of every Scoop), and mail to:
The Inside Scoop
John Howard Society of Manitoba
583 Ellice Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1Z7
Literacy Workbooks
Our 20+ literacy workbooks cover topics ranging from anger and anxiety management to the principles of restorative justice, while providing an opportunity for learners to practice writing and reading comprehension skills.
Contact the Literacy Department
Anna Sigrithur, Literacy Coordinator
204-775-1514 ext. 112
John Samson Fellows, Literacy Instructor
204-775-1514 ext. 113
Chanelle Lajoie, Literacy Instructor
204-775-1514 ext. 113
Note: If one staff member doesn’t pick up the phone, try calling another.
