During a recent family literacy event, children imaged what their dream jobs could be—and practiced the skills necessary to achieve them.

After reading a story about a fisherwoman, children were asked: “if you could have any job in the world, imagine, what would be your dream job?” The answers were inspiring. The eager dreamers shared drawings that, among others, included an astronaut, teacher, paleontologist and a pharmacist.

November is Financial Literacy Month, which means it’s time to reflect on how you can continue to improve your money management skills. For newcomers to Canada, understanding how banking works in their new home can help individuals settle in and achieve their goals faster. Money Matters for Newcomers and New Canadians, developed by ABC Life Literacy Canada (ABC), with founding partner TD Bank Group (TD), is a new free financial literacy program geared towards adult newcomers in Canada.

At a glance 

The Lethbridge Public Library in Lethbridge, Alberta, has over 100 employees across two branches and a bookmobile, but the Read On team, which manages the library’s adult literacy programming, is much smaller. Lil Radley and Beth Entz are a team of two, and they serve over 350 learners annually thanks in part to their roster of over 150 engaged volunteers.

Nearly 50% of Canadians struggle with simple tasks involving math and numbers. Beyond the personal impact to individuals and families, low numeracy skills could affect Canada’s ability to compete in the global economy. This November, ABC Life Literacy Canada (ABC) celebrates Financial Literacy Month by raising awareness of the importance of numeracy and money management.

Q. Tell us about your role as Financial Literacy Leader in Canada, what that means and what you hope to achieve? Q.

As Financial Literacy Leader, my mandate is to engage, collaborate and coordinate activities with stakeholders from the public, private and non-profit sectors, including academics and educational institutions, in order to support and contribute to initiatives that strengthen the financial literacy of Canadians. I am doing so by concentrating efforts in the areas of:

Fun activities from HSBC Family Literacy First keep skills sharp while school is out!