A Passage from Burnt Islands

The elementary school in the small fishing village of Burnt Islands, Newfoundland, was one of the worst in the province. Many of the students who graduated could not read and write well enough to get through high school. Without some drastic changes, the cycle of illiteracy and uncertainty about the future in a single-resource economy, would be repeated for yet another generation. Change appeared in the form of Ray Bown, an energetic and dedicated school principal. Calling upon parents and teachers to join his crusade for literacy, Bown turned a struggling school into a place where students were eager to learn, and instilled in parents a sense of hope for their children's future.