History

A Brief History

1930s: Frank Laubach develops the “Each One Teach One” approach.
1955: Laubach Literacy International is established.
1970: Canada’s first Laubach tutor-training workshop is held in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.
1975: New Brunswick’s first Laubach council is established in Saint John.
1981: Laubach Literacy Canada was established
1982: The provincial New Brunswick organization was established after seeing a need for a unified system to handle tutor certification, volunteer recruitment and funding, Laubach Literacy New Brunswick was founded.
2006: The federal government as part of an austerity initiative, cut $17.7 million to adult literacy programs.
2008: The federal corporation Laubach Literacy of Canada is dissolved, as did many provincial Laubach Literacy programs – leaving only Ontario, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick.
2009: Laubach Literacy NB established new funding support with the province of New Brunswick through Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (now WorkingNB).
2012: Laubach Literacy NB developed a new tutor training program for all Laubach Literacy NB tutors province-wide.
2013: The first Bookstravaganza (used book sale) fundraiser is held at Edith Cavell School.
2019: Began to hold virtual council meetings and diversify infrastructure to offer online learning opportunities, including online tutor training and the first pilot of Learning Upgrade.
2020: The pandemic changes how we deliver tutoring including online and cross-regional learning opportunities.
2021: Laubach Literacy NB, in consultation with its affiliated councils, tutors and learners, rebranded the program to READ NB, giving a consistent brand presence throughout the province.
2023: Laubach Literacy NB and its councils adopt the unified public brand READ NB.
2025: We celebrate Bookstravaganza’s 10th Anniversary. (Note: the sale was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.)
Today: The organization retains its Laubach heritage while offering a much broader mix of literacy programming and resources.