Type Of Business:
Nonprofit educational organization
Expertise:
Community outreach; Early education
Major Product/SVS:
Books for young mothers to read to their children; Educational programs for young mothers
Hobbies/Sports:
Painting; Reading; Crafting jewelry
Education Degrees:
Associate of Arts in Communications, Loyola College; Teaching Diploma, Ontario College of Teachers
Affiliations Awards:
International Reading Association; SPEN
Number Of Years In Profession:
30
Number Of Years In Current Position:
11
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to her life experiences and the people she has met along the way.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession after volunteering within the Toronto school system and discovering a widespread disadvantage amongst children whose mothers did not or could not read to them. These mothers were often young and poor and many were homeless. She decided to create a program to reach these marginalized young women in a way that they would relate and respond to.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Teaching early education methods to homeless and marginalized young mothers in a Toronto shelter; Giving these mothers books to read to their children; Assisting marginalized mothers in their personal development; Overseeing the organization's day-to-day operations
Awards/Honors:
Woman of Distinction, YMCA; Awarded as a Vital Person, Toronto Community Foundation; Two-Time Recipient, Mayor's Safety Committee Award, City of Toronto
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Ms. Altilia would like to see Literacy for Life become the literacy champion of the province. She hopes to share all that she has learned with other groups around the world. Her main goal is to help eliminate illiteracy, which is one of the major causes of intergenerational cycles of poverty.