Frontier College runs a wide variety of English-language and French-language literacy programs for children, youth and adults in many places across Canada such as community centres, shelters, farms and prisons.

Over the years, with the changing face of Canada and the nature of its society and industries, Frontier College too adapted its programs in order to meet the learning needs of Canadians everywhere.

The range of its programs grew from serving labourers in isolated logging and mining camps or rail gangs to assisting all constituents of Canadian society from adults working in factories and workshops to children from low-income families needing help with their homework, street-involved youth determined to overcome their circumstances, and Aboriginal learners and communities.

It began in 1902[1] and aimed to extend the rights to learning and education to labourers working in Canada's early mines, rail gangs and lumber camps, where the need was felt most sharply.

Early Labourer-Teachers were mostly young men recruited from universities in Canada, who took up the challenge to work alongside the labourers by day and then teach them to read and write at night.

Founder Alfred Fitzpatrick captured the spirit of Frontier College with the following words:"Whenever and wherever people shall have the occasion to congregate, then and there shall be the time, place and means of their education."

Depending upon the interests of the crew, classes might focus on spoken or written French or English, or such diverse subjects as mathematics, farming, or poetry.

Labourer-Teachers helped construct the Alaska Highway during World War II and played a role in the technological transfer within Canada's workforce during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

The activities include Reading Circles, Tutoring (one-to-one, small group, and classroom helpers), Homework Clubs, and Summer Programs.

[9] United for Literacy trains volunteer tutors to help individuals (i.e. learners) to improve their learning skills in such areas as reading, writing, mathematics, and English as an Additional Language (i.e. ESL).

[10] "Whereas in 1899 Pictou County native, Alfred Fitzpatrick, overcame discouragement from government and business to establish the Canadian Reading Camps Association; and Whereas under Alfred Fitzpatrick's leadership, this organization grew into what is today known as Frontier College, Canada's oldest adult education institution;and Whereas in its century of operation, Frontier College has helped educate countless thousands of Canadians in railway camps, lumber woods, city streets and Aboriginal communities;Therefore be it resolved that members of this House recognize the contribution made to education and adult literacy by Alfred Fitzpatrick - one of the great Canadians born and raised in Nova Scotia."