Adult Learners and a New Place to Find Them

Cheryl Lovstrom, Community Learning Network

0 28 November 2022

Location, location, location! Attracting adult learners can seem like a daunting task, but you know promoting your programs in the right locations can make a world of difference. You ask yourself, “How can we attract enough learners to run a class?” Then you go out and talk to community partners, put flyers in all the places learners may go, and create a bright, welcoming space with great signage. You even have a fantastic website and active social media presence. Suddenly, attracting learners is not a problem at all, but serving them may be. How do you deal with all the requests for programming?! After all, you are but one CALP in a community filled with enthusiastic learners. But did you know you have a new, CALP superpower? You have access to the Adult Learning Alberta website!

Adult Learning Alberta may be the key to solving many of your community learning needs. The Adult Learning Alberta (ALA) website is a hub for CALPs to post their online opportunities and for learners to search for online learning that aligns with their learning goals. The website was inspired by CALP staff through a community conversation. The goal of the project was to promote cross-regional connections for CALPs around the province.

Work on the website began in the spring of 2020, and it launched later that year. CLN worked with a pilot group of CALPs to create the site and engage the rest of the CALP system. For nearly two years, CALPs across Alberta have been building connections and forming partnerships through the ALA website.

Through these partnerships, CALPs have been able to expand their reach, filling classes that may otherwise be cancelled due to lack of registrations. The ALA website also provides adult learners with access to online learning opportunities through referrals from CALP staff. Sign up for a user account here: https://adultlearningalberta.ca/submissions/request-an-account.

Adult Learning Alberta is a user-friendly site with lots of great features:

An accessibility toolbox to help visitors navigate the site
One-click search buttons by Literacy & Foundational Learning category
At-a-glance calendar with learning opportunities listed by month
Option to load your pdf flyers directly to the site

CALP staff who use the site love it! Here’s what they have to say:

“I have been using the website since its creation. I love the 'Accessibility' tool bar. Another feature I like is the 'Find an Event' section and the monthly calendar for viewing what is happening in other CALPs online.” - Stephanie Brown, Hinton

“I wanted to promote my virtual classes in as many ways as possible…I have gotten three learners registered in my virtual classes since posting them in September…It was a wonderful opportunity to partner with another CALP and be able to serve a learner looking for a class.” - Ashley Williamson, Edmonton

“I was motivated to use the site because I saw it gave us the ability to provide more learning opportunities to our learners, especially if we were not offering that specific programming…The Adult Learning Alberta website is one of the most user-friendly sites I have ever navigated.” - Cheryl Dezall, Rocky Mountain House

“I think it is fantastic that our learners have access to the entire CALP system…This is just one more tool in the tool kit to help the learners!” - Sarah Fotty, Rocky Mountain House

CALP staff all over the province are connecting adults to online learning opportunities that work for them. Check out this great true story from Tammy Nischuk in Strathmore. It’s all about how CALPs can work together to help learners reach their goals: https://www.powtoon.com/c/fZaLmLi3Axo/2/m

Adult Learning Alberta was inspired by CALPs and created for CALPs, with learners in mind.

What are you waiting for? Head over and check it out today: https://adultlearningalberta.ca/