Articles

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

At CODE, we believe that literacy is more than just reading and writing—it is a gateway to equity, opportunity, and empowerment. It is the foundation for a more just, inclusive, and prosperous world. That’s why we are proud to launch CODE’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, a bold and focused roadmap for the years ahead.

This plan is the result of a deeply collaborative and inclusive process. We listened carefully to sector experts, supporters, staff and volunteers and, most importantly, our partners in the countries where we work. Colleagues from Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Tanzania shared their insights and aspirations, helping shape a strategy rooted in lived experience and aligned with local priorities.

The 2025–2030 Strategic Plan builds on a strong foundation. Over the past six years, we’ve supported nearly 1.5 million children on their reading journeys, trained more than 21,000 teachers, and distributed over 1.3 million books. We’ve welcomed the expertise of new partners, expanded our community of supporters across Canada and honed our capacity to measure and communicate impact. These achievements are not just milestones—they reflect what is possible when we work together toward a shared vision.

Looking ahead, this new plan brings a sharper focus to where we believe our efforts can have the greatest impact: early primary classrooms. At the heart of our new strategy is a clear goal — to improve children’s literacy by creating effective literacy learning environments alongside our partners, schools, and communities.

By centering our work on the foundational years of schooling, we’re able to deepen our investments in responsive, context-specific initiatives. This includes increased attention to classroom instruction that supports every child’s success, the availability of locally relevant teaching and learning materials and the creation of joyful, inspiring spaces that nurture a lifelong love of reading and learning.

In a world facing rising geopolitical and economic challenges, our shared values — equity, collaboration, and community-led change — matter more than ever. This is the time to redouble our efforts, to act boldly and to affirm our belief in the transformative power of literacy.

As Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, we are united in our commitment to a world where every child can read and write. We are deeply grateful for your continued support and we invite you to join us in bringing this new vision to life. Together, we can ensure that literacy continues to open doors for generations to come.

Warm regards,