About Literacy in Kamloops
Our Story
Literacy in Kamloops (LinK) is the result of the 2010 Legacies Now Community Literacy Initiative. For Kamloops, the process began in September 2006 when we applied for planning funds and through community consultation developed a Community Literacy Plan. We submitted the plan to 2010 Legacies Now in April 2008 and received implementation and coordination funds. In September 2009, we hired a Community Outreach Coordinator to manage the implementation of the plan. LinK continues to meet regularly to revisit the goals of the plan and work on implementation of those goals.
What We Do
- Support literacy programs
- Provide leadership
- Build community
- Encourage new partnership and participation
- Increase awareness and understanding about the importance of literacy
Our Vision
We are committed to meeting the literacy needs of everyone in our community
Coordinators
For direct inquiries, reach out to our coordinators listed below.
Fiona Clare
Literacy Outreach Coordinator
Born in South Africa, a teacher by profession, Fiona emigrated to Canada with her husband, Terry, in 1990. Fiona’s passion has always been literacy. Her community literacy work began in 1998 as the volunteer coordinator/ trainer of the ONE TO ONE program in School District 73. In 2009, Fiona was hired as the Literacy Outreach Coordinator for a community literacy initiative, Literacy in Kamloops. Building on the success of ONE TO ONE, she developed Come Read with Me workshops for grade 1 parents and wrote a parent handbook, which offers parents simple strategies to support at home reading. In 2019, she was recognized by the Kamloops/Thompson School District with the Owl Award for Excellence in Public Education. Fiona enjoys working with many community partners on numerous literacy initiatives to improve the literacy levels of all ages in Kamloops.
In their time off, Fiona and Terry enjoy golfing in the summer, skiing and travelling in the winter. And of course, she loves getting lost in a good book!
Jodi LeBourdais
Literacy Program Coordinator – Children & Family
Jodi Lebourdais has a background in human kinetics and is passionate about community health and wellness. She believes literacy skills play an important role in health and that a community based approach supports the best outcomes. She has been the coordinator for P.L.A.Y.Kamloops (Physical Literacy And You) since 2019 and merged this role into program coordinator for Literacy in Kamloops since 2023. Her two children have further inspired her work in community development and creating a future that is inspired and joyful for all.
Cami Klohn
Come Read with Me Volunteer Tutoring Coordinator
Monique Reiswig
Literacy Program Coordinator – Adult & Intergenerational
Nakita Gideon-Syme
Literacy Program Manager – Adult & Intergenerational
Board of Directors
Christie Fraser
Chair
I was born and raised along the beautiful Bay of Quinte in Belleville ON, on the lands of the Tyendinega Mohawk people (People of the Flint). I now live on the ancestral and unsurrendered territory of the Secwépemc nation in Kamloops BC, as an uninvited guest and settler. I am a daughter, sister, wife, and most importantly, a loving mother to my kind and brave daughter Josie. Currently, I am an Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Education at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). I teach primarily in the Bachelor of Education Program where I support the development of teachers who value decolonized approaches and embrace Indigenous ways of knowing and being in their teaching practice. I have been working in the area of literacy for more than 20 years—from teaching children how to read, to preparing pre-service and in-service teachers to teach children how to read. My commitment to serving the Literacy in Kamloops Society stems from my deep belief that everyone deserves the tools they need to express their voice and participate meaningfully in their communities. I believe one of most essential of these tools is the ability to effectively read and write in one’s language(s). Read more
Tamara Vukusic
Vice Chair
Tamara Vukusic is a writer, former TV show host, and author. She believes that writing is a way to make sense, work through, and connect with self and others. For this reason, she volunteers in classrooms to nudge young people to dig deep and put pen to paper. She started the family literacy event, Kamloops Word Walk, and is a frequent presenter at the Young Authors’ Conference hosted by School Division 73 (SD73 does so many good things to promote literacy!).
Tamara is the Founder of Spark Your Imagination, a collection of games and apps that connects families and gets kids talking. Her most memorable career experience was working as the Director of External Relations for the 2002 Arctic Winter Games co-hosted by Iqaluit, Nunavut and Nuuk, Greenland. She continues to live up to her Grade 6 moniker “Miss Opinion” by writing opinion pieces for publications such as The Globe and Mail.
Maureen Doll
Secretary
Maureen Doll has lived in Kamloops since she was a teenager and has worked in the social service sector for 30 years. She is the mom of 2 young adult sons and a teenage daughter. Community Development is her passion. “I truly believe that together we are stronger. Nothing is more satisfying than working with like minded individuals to find ways to fill the gaps in services for our community. As the Director of Community Program with YMCA BC Kamloops & Interior, I get to do this every single day and being on the Board of Literacy In Kamloops is another avenue for community collaboration.
Geoff Collier
Treasurer
Idris Marican
Director at Large
25 years of supporting families in various roles with the local non-profit social services agency Interior Community Services and being married to a primary teacher has given me the opportunity to learn the importance of all forms of literacy in supporting folks to improve the quality of their lives and achieve the goals they have set for themselves and their loved ones. Over the years, I have enjoyed collaborating with the Literacy in Kamloops team and have been blessed to witnessed first-hand the positive impact Literacy in Kamloops programs have made in the lives of children, adults and families in our community. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to support Literacy in Kamloops as a member of the board.
Andrea Wallin
Director at Large
Andrea Wallin is a District Library Learning Commons Coordinator for the Kamloops-Thompson School District. In her role she supports educators with access to digital and print resources for K-12 learners. Additionally Andrea supports schools with library learning commons space design, collection development and professional development. Andrea’s background includes Teacher-Librarian at a bilingual school in the Langley School District as well as teaching experience at both elementary and secondary levels. Educational degrees include a Master’s Degree in Education/Teacher-Librarianship from the University of Alberta, a Diploma in Teacher-Librarianship from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Simon Fraser University. Andrea obtained the SD73 Leadership Development Program Certificate in 2006. Andrea’s work is rooted in the belief that fostering a joy for reading is foundational to life success.
Our Supporters
We are grateful for the generous support of our partners and funders, whose contributions help us promote literacy in our community.
