2006 Keynote Speaker : Dianne C. Smith

At the age of 48, Dianne Smith was raising her two children on her own when she decided she needed to upgrade her education so she could provide what she wanted for her children. She contacted the Prince Edward Island Literacy Alliance and after she was assessed, Dianne enrolled in the Spell-Read program.

Dianne worked during the day and attended night classes while studying for her GED high school equivalency. Dianne obtained her GED and subsequently started a Home Care course offered by the Red Cross. During the course, Dianne worked in a community care facility and learned that she really enjoyed working in this environment. One thing led to another, and Dianne managed to get a loan to start her own community care residence, Smith Lodge.

Dianne is a passionate advocate for literacy. She has spoken at a national literacy conference held in Charlottetown, done radio interviews during Literacy Week, and supports other literacy students who are struggling with their studies. Dianne has written to the Federal Minister of Social Development to stress the importance of early learning and childcare and the importance of involving the family as a whole to break the cycle of low literacy. She represents P.E.I. on the Learners Advisory Network of the Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) and is a member of the MCL Board of Directors. In 2005, Dianne won the Council of the Federation Literacy Award for P.E.I.