Our Story
Education is one of the fundamental battles to wage in our society. It’s the moral duty to the coming generations.
– Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General
For the last 60 years, CODE has been working towards our vision of a literate world. The groundwork was laid in 1959, when a small group of educators, librarians and publishing professionals launched the “Books for the developing world” project, packaging unused books in tea chests for shipping overseas. Since then, CODE has grown into Canada’s leading international development agency focused uniquely on education and literacy.
Our vision
CODE envisions a world where every young person can pursue their education and realize their full potential as a literate, empowered, self-reliant citizen.
Our mission
CODE’s mission is to enable student learning by increasing their access to qualified educators and locally-relevant, high quality learning materials.
Our core values
CODE’s work is guided by five core values: human rights, accountability, transparency, fairness, and sustainability.
