The notion of sharing the planet does not always mean sharing it with others. People living in the downtown areas of densely populated cities can lead very solitary lives. Certain populations are susceptible to living in isolation and in poor-quality conditions without any opportunity for expression or supportive relationships. These disadvantaged populations are those most often confronted with social and ecological disorder.

The research project, conducted in collaboration with two community organizations and a university, consists of designing and using the educational program “Literacy and environmental education for adults”. This program targets the social and environmental commitment of adult literacy students in their own neighbourhoods. Since the research is in its early stages, the collaborators are working to create a program based on their practical experiences and their theoretical articles, which are reviewed and analyzed. At this stage, several challenges must be overcome in order to develop the program. This article examines some of them, on both practical and theoretical levels, and then presents the general orientations the collaborators want to wish to this program.