About Us

Our Mission Statement

Through a positive and supportive environment, the Portage Learning and Literacy Centre is committed to providing the residents of Portage la Prairie and surrounding areas with opportunities to realize their education, employment, and immigration goals.

Our governance

The affairs of the Portage Learning and Literacy Centre are governed by a Board of Directors. Board members may be elected at the Annual General Meeting or be invited to join the Board by a simple majority vote of the Board.

The Board of Directors is the acknowledged final authority of PLLC.  Its objectives are as follows:  (1) To ensure that services provided are within the Objects of PLLC, Inc.;  (2) To ensure that the highest possible standards of service are offered and available to the community at reasonable cost; (3) To ensure the financial health of PLLC, Inc.

The current PLLC Board of Directors are:

  • Yvette Souque, Chair
  • Phillip J.C. Lapointe, Secretary
  • Beverly Phillips, Vice-Chair
  • Sheila Cole, Board Member
  • Oleksandr (Alex) Hryntsiv, Board Member
  • Iftikar Al Houlani, Board Member
  • Jo-Anna Wilson, Board Member
  • Oliver Cabading, Board Member
  • Cathy Dowd, Executive Director (ex-officio)
  • Laurie Collier, Lead Teacher (ex-officio)
 

The PLLC Board holds an Annual General Meeting, usually in May each year. The AGM Report provided by the Board Chair (reviewing major highlights from the past year) can be picked up at our office or through email upon request.

Management

The day-to-day operations of the organization are overseen by the Executive Director, working closely with the Lead Teacher. The Education programs (Mature Grade 12 and Literacy) are overseen by the Lead Teacher, and the Employment, Skills Training & Work Experience (for youth and for persons with disabilities), Settlement Services (including ESL) for all newcomers to Canada, as well as smaller programs such as Money Management Training, ID Services (including passport photos), and the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program are all overseen by the Executive Director. The PLLC has 21 full-time staff, at least 12 part-time staff positions, and over 40 volunteers working together to provide the best quality services and programs to help individuals in the Central Plains region meet their needs and achieve their goals.

Funders & Partners

Funders

The PLLC receives support from a number of different funding bodies. These include government, foundations, and community funds. We want to thank our funders for their on-going support of the PLLC. Your contribution allows us to better serve and assist the residents of Portage la Prairie and surrounding communities.

Partners

The PLLC works with a myriad of partners including educational institutions, service providers, settlement agencies, youth serving agencies and community based organizations. We believe that working together in partnership allows us to further our mandate by building stronger supports for our community. Thank you to all of our partners for their solidarity, support and collaboration.