top bar home page Contact ROWA! by email

for children and young people Who we are The Team The Board Our Aims Our History Contact Us


Who we are

Our Aims

Mission Statement

ROWA! works with partners to identify, develop, promote and disseminate innovative and effective community literacy practice, from cradle to grave, to optimise access to 'lives of opportunity'.

ROWA!'s Constitutional Aims:

  • to make significant improvements in the levels of literacy and basic skills, especially of those most disadvantaged by lower literacy skills;
  • to promote a culture of enjoyment, achievement and celebration of literacy in all its forms;
  • to contribute to the economic development of the region by improving the skills of the current and future workforce.

ROWA! Definition of Literacy

At its heart literacy is about the ability to read and write to levels which sustain day to day life, learning, work, culture and participation in society. The acquisition of literacy skills requires an adequate preparation for learning, sufficient opportunity to practice literacy skills, compatibility with institutional learning, openness to learning and confidence in ability. These prerequisites can be summarised as a 'disposition to learn'. ROWA! seeks to find 'community solutions' to address literacy deficiencies caused by 'disposition to learn' problems.

The actual skills which the term 'literacy' encompasses are:

  • listening and speaking
  • reading and writing, using various media including ICT
  • computation and problem solving

These skills are the foundation of participation in day to day life, education, employment, culture and democracy. ROWA! will promote reading and writing as both necessary skills and creative experiences.

ROWA! Annual Reports

pdf icon ROWA! Annual Report 2008-09
pdf icon ROWA! Impact Report 2007-08
pdf icon ROWA! Business Plan 2008-09
pdf icon ROWA! Corporate Plan 2008-11

pdf icon

ROWA! Annual Impact Report 2006/07
pdf icon ROWA! Annual Impact Report 2005/06
pdf icon ROWA! Annual Report 2004/05
pdf icon ROWA! Corporate Plan: Sept 2004 to August 2007

 

 

 
Return to top of page

For schools Children's pages Young people's pages