What has Symposium meant to you?
Tanis Harms, Community Learning Network
The 2024 Literacy & Learning Symposium Registration Kick-Off is on February 6, 2024! Many CALP staff look forward to this event every year, and there is a reason they keep coming back. Here are a few CALP staff from across the province answering the question...
"What has Symposium meant to you?"
"When I first started working in my position, in October 2000, the former coordinator suggested that the most important thing for my professional development would be to attend the spring conference (April 2021). Well, since then, I have attended every single CLN conference or symposium. I keep returning for the learning, the inspiration, the recognition and the camaraderie. I work alone in the office, so the connections I make with other CALP staff are vital."
~ Nancy Dinsdale, Lobstick Literacy & Learning Society
"A spa for my work soul! Refresh, renew, reignite, inspire, motivate, exchange, gain, grow! Attending our annual symposium has always been one of my favourite times of the year. It is a chance for us to get away from the day to day. A retreat. Not everyone takes this opportunity because of how busy they are or because of the financial costs involved. For me it is like a workcation. I believe it is important for us to spend this time with other attendees. Being able to network, learn new ways, learn what others are doing in their organizations, share our own successes and bounce ideas of each other helps to renew my excitement for what we do. We don’t get that same feeling and interaction with online Symposiums. The banquet was a time to celebrate us and our learners. I feel that removing this portion of the Symposium has made for a lost opportunity of recognition for all that we do and those that we help."
~ Lindsay Carton, Wainwright Adult Learning
"Symposium has provided me and I'm sure many, opportunities for collective experiences to be shared and valued. It's a time when we come together, exchange ideas, and navigate the complexities of our work collaboratively. Symposium in my experience is about sharing knowledge, progressing in learning, reflecting on shared challenges, and enjoying the company of colleagues we typically only see virtually. It's a platform for leaders to showcase expertise and opportunity for truth , reconciliation and knowledge sharing. It's a gathering that emphasizes shared purpose and connecting us as a community. It's a time to remember our shared journey, common humanity, and shared compassion for adult learning. It's a time to make sense of our driven purpose and passion for learners and the unspoken understanding of the challenges and successes they face. Symposium is a purposeful gathering for me. We gather with intention and we learn with purpose and I am grateful for the years past and excited for the years ahead."
~ Rochelle Galeski, Medicine Hat College Pathways - Adult Learning Foundations
How about you? Have you attended the Literacy & Learning Symposium before? If so, "What has Symposium meant to you?" We'd love to hear! Please share below in the comments section.
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