CALP Connections
CALP Connections: December 2018
CLN Board Welcomes Georgina Supernault as Director
This fall at the 2018 CLN AGM, Georgina Supernault, Coordinator at Manning Community Adult Learning & Literacy Council, was elected to join the CLN Board of Directors.
Meet Georgina Supernault
My husband and I live on a farm in Sunny Valley where our backyard is the beautiful Peace River. I am a proud Metis Kokum (grandmother) of seven adorable grandchildren who keep me grounded and help lay the foundation of my learning.
I have been with the CALP system for over a decade and it has always been a learning experience. First as a board member making sure community needs were identified, then as a family literacy coordinator learning to develop programs that met client needs. Lately, it has been as a PDAC member and a curriculum developer finding practical tools for addressing Indigenous needs in our CALP spaces. It is always challenging, always interesting and always an honour to do the work I do.
I am so humbled to be a part of the CLN family, so excited to learn and grow with this amazing group of dedicated people. I hope to bring to this position what I have learned in programming, board development, community consultation, and curriculum design.
Wishing you all the hope, wonder and joy that the season can bring!
Merry Christmas and May the Creator bless you and your loved ones throughout the New Year.
CALP Connections: November 2018
Greetings from the Chair
Inspiring Leadership: Dare to care
As I prepared to write the Welcome Message for our November newsletter, I came across an article, Inspiring Leadership: Dare to Care. Well, that title sparked my interest! I would like to share some of the key messages from the article and encourage you to take five minutes to read the entire article.
The following information is taken from Charity Village - Village Vibes Issue 23.44 (https://charityvillage.com/cms/content/topic/inspiring_leadership_dare_to_care#.W9iQ0pNKjcc). “To be an inspiring leader, you have to care. And, just as importantly, you have to demonstrate that you care. You have to show it. And you have to show it in a number of different areas in order to be truly inspiring. And although I give this advice to leaders in every sector, caring is fundamental to our work in the nonprofit sector. If you don't care, no one else will either. CARING is the MOST important thing you need to do to be an inspiring leader. If you don't do this, all of the other approaches and techniques won't matter.”
I have definitely taken the first step, or more like jumped in with both feet. I care! I care for the CLN members, staff, directors, funders and the CALP system.
Chairing this amazing organization is truly an honour for me. Thank you to immediate Past Chair, Karen Plourde, for her passionate leadership of the CLN, and to all the past board members who worked together to govern this successful organization. As I take the role as the new Chair, I plan to support the mission of the CLN and to continue its legacy with spirit and enthusiasm.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest Director:
Georgina Supernault from Manning Community Adult Learning & Literacy Council
And I would like to thank all returning Board Members:
Jana Thomson, Vice Chair from Rocky Learning Centre
Jackie Seely, Treasurer from Newell Further Education
Lois Polege, Secretary from Flagstaff Community Adult Learning
Lil Radley, Director from Read On Adult Literacy Program (Lethbridge Public Library)
Colleen Thiessen, Director from Wetaskiwin Community Learning Program
Thank you to each and every one of you who “Dare to Care”.
Doray Veno
Chair, CLN Board
CALP Connections: October 2018
Meet the 2018 - 19 CLN Board of Directors
Thank you to everyone who joined us for CLN's 31st Annual General Meeting at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Edmonton on September 25th.
We are pleased to share with you the CLN Board of Directors for the 2018 -19 year.
Top row (left to right): Lil Radley, Doray Veno, Jana Thomson, Colleen Thiessen
Front row (left to right): Jackie Seely, Lois Polege, Georgina Supernault
Doray Veno, Chair
Hanna Learning Centre
Jana Thomson, Vice Chair
Rocky Learning Centre
Jackie Seely, Treasurer
Newell Further Education
Lois Polege, Secretary
Flagstaff Community Adult Learning
Lil Radley, Director
Read On Adult Literacy Program (Lethbridge Public Library)
Georgina Supernault, Director
Manning Community Adult Learning & Literacy Council
Colleen Thiessen, Director
Wetaskiwin Community Learning Program
This year we had two Board members, Karen Plourde and Brenda Adams, retire after completing their three 2-year terms. We thank them for their service to the association.
CALP Connections: September 2018
Welcome back to the 2018/19 CALP year which will surely be filled with inspiration, innovation, meaningful connections and fulfillment!
I hope you all had a break and a chance to recharge. On this, my last letter in Connections newsletter, and my last year of service on the board, I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you that it has been a privilege to serve on the CLN board on your behalf. Connecting with CALP people, a mighty group, has been a continuous inspiration and revitalization. Let me share with you a picture taken in Yellowknife this summer where Brenda Adams met me at the Wildcat Café for supper. This image illustrates a friendship connection made while serving (six years) on the CLN board.
Serving the CLN board… adventures await!
Karen Plourde
Chair, CLN Board of Directors
CALP Connections: Summer 2018
Summer is here! As another CALP year comes to a close, take time to reflect on all you have accomplished this year. Pat yourself on the back and force yourself to brag a little about your accomplishments. 2017/18 has been a year of innovation by CALP staff around the province. It has been a year of increased connections among CALPs and the CLN. Collectively, we have served adult learners in our province in innumerable ways, positively impacting our Alberta home. Bravo!
Most of you are looking forward to some summer time off and the chance to recharge. Enjoy your summer, and we will see you in the fall at Symposium.
I want to give a shout out to the CLN staff who have kept us all connected; you have helped us with mentoring, training, PD, and so much more. Your hard work is appreciated by all! Together, we make a mighty contribution.
This will be my last year on the CLN Board: what a grand experience it has been. I have enjoyed the experience as well as the opportunity to acquire perspective and insight from the extraordinary members who serve on this board. People like you…CALP people.
Knowledge gained by serving on the board has helped me communicate better with my own board about the broader provincial scope. It has enabled me to better insure that my local board is meeting Advanced Education expectations and directions. Even board development of our local CALP has been enhanced by experiences learned on the CLN board. Everything I learn as a board member has helped me serve my community better. Serving on this board is a win-win.
Think about joining the CLN board for yourself, your local board, your community, your province and for all CALPs. Expand your horizons. Try something new. Many of you have already served, but even seasoned board members might want to consider serving again, as the CLN board has undergone so many changes, even in my short experience.
You can download the CLN Board Member Position Description and Application Package from the CALP Portal in the "All Members and Partners" Documents folder.
If I don’t see you before then, I look forward to connecting with you at CLN’s Annual General Meeting at the Symposium in September!
Karen Plourde
CLN Board Chair
CALP Connections: May 2018
A look into how the CLN Board is Working for You!
Six times a year, the CLN Board of Directors meet, either online or face-to-face, to conduct our “business”. Recently, the board met in Edmonton on April 19 and 20.
CLN’s Board members come from across the province; Karen Plourde from the North, Jackie Peterson and Lil Radley from the South, Brenda Adams and Colleen Thiessen from West-Central, Lois Polege from East-Central and Doray Veno and Jana Thomson from Central. Lisa Dickner, Executive Director, joined us for the meeting. Lindsay Manz and Ben Hartt, from Advanced Education also joined us for an afternoon.
As always, these meetings are productive and busy. Karen Plourde, the Chair, keeps the meeting on track as agenda items are covered, questions asked, issues discussed, and decisions made. For example, at this meeting agenda items included:
- CLN’s Human Resource policies were reviewed and updated. With the introduction of new legislation for HR and Employment Standards, it was timely to ensure all our policies were up to date. CLN will post our draft policies as samples that CALPs can reference for their own policy. If you missed it earlier in the year, and have questions about how the new legislation could impact your organization, you can view the recording of a webinar CLN hosted with a representative from Alberta Labour this past January. The recording and the answers to some follow-up questions are available to CALP staff with a Portal login at https://www.calp.ca/?lid=8QBVM-6HAJ3-QUKDU&pkGroup=1&pkGroups[]=1&pkGroups[]=6&comaction=discussion&pkDiscussion=607&q=bill+17&sort=-dtCreated
- We reviewed and approved the CLN’s PD Support Services grant application and budget for Advanced Education for the 2018-19 funding cycle. CLN submitted our application to Advanced Education on May 1st.
- Lindsay Manz and Ben Hartt shared information from Advanced Education, including the recent review of Family Literacy, and the CALP grant focus on foundational learning.
- Lisa Dickner, Executive Director, brought us up to date on many items including regional training needs and trends, Symposium registration and planning, and other CLN activities and initiatives.
- The Alberta Food Bank Conference – This year, CLN will be a community sponsor for this event, and we are proud that our board will be represented at this event. We are looking forward to making connections with service agencies like Alberta’s food banks, that could grow to strengthen local partnerships for CALP programs across the province.
- The Digital Literacy Exchange Program grant application – If successful, CLN and NorQuest College will work together to develop an electronic application or platform that will build digital literacy among adult learners across the province, and potentially across the country. Our proposal is to develop the app, which would be made available to CALP staff and other adult learning practitioners at no cost, as well as to develop and deliver “train-the-trainer” materials and face-to-face training for practitioners so you can get the most out of the app when you work with learners.
These meetings are vibrant, packed with meaningful discussion by passionate talented board members. Each bring their unique community perspectives, united by the common goal of promoting and advancing foundational learning for all adult learners in every region of the province.
I am confident that those in the field will be happy to see the results of our board meetings; this could be additional training opportunities, information on the portal, regional training, and soon, the Symposium.
Lil Radley, Secretary
CLN Board of Directors
CALP Connections: April 2018
My beliefs, values, and philosophies are strong, real, and community-driven. I am passionate for lifelong learning, building capacity within groups and individuals and community development in rural Alberta.
As Executive Director of the Hanna Learning Centre, I bring an enthusiasm and commitment to my chosen career pathway and adventure. My team leadership style brings an innovative perspective to the successful multi-program organization offering learning, literacy, career and employment, connecting community, small business and voluntary sector services. I play a regional convening role in citizen engagement, organizational development, and community capacity building. For the last 23 years I have had the opportunity and pleasure to work and volunteer in the government, private and not for profit sectors, as a business owner, board director, municipal councilor, employee and community leader.
My tenure on the CLN Board continues to be beneficial in building and expanding my networks professionally and personally. The experiences and knowledge gained have been of added value to our organization and community. The opportunity to share my passion, skill sets and develop new skills are rewarding. I appreciate learning about and understanding the CALP system through a variety of lenses. One of the greatest benefits to serving on the CLN Board is engaging with amazing people, who empower others.
If you are interested in exploring what you could bring to the CLN Board, and what you could gain from serving, be sure to check out the Nomination Package below. We are currently accepting applications and nominations to the CLN Board of Directors for the 2018-19 term.
Doray Veno, Vice Chair
CLN Board of Directors
CALP Connections: March 2018
Is it spring yet?!! If you are like me, we seem to have been enjoying this winter for a long time, and I’m ready for an infusion of some new life and energy! I love 
to see the days get longer, and count the weeks until some greenery will appear.
Fortunately, we don’t have to wait for spring weather to find splashes of optimism and joy in our work. There is the sparkle in the eye of a learner who suddenly “gets it”, or one who realizes they’ve achieved that goal that seemed so hard. There is the energizing challenge of a new opportunity popping up. There are the words of support from colleagues, Regional Support Staff and volunteers as we work toward our common goals. There are amazing opportunities to learn and stretch and grow. So as we dive into applications and reports, let’s celebrate why we do this work. How many people get paid to make a difference in someone’s life? I’m glad to be a part of this team that chooses to invest in the lives of individuals and communities.
Lois Polege
CLN Board of Directors
CALP Connections: February 2018
Brrrrrr, has it been cold outside! Beautiful but chilly.
Had it been warm, it might have been difficult to stay indoors and focus on all of the things that need our attention now that the 2018-19 Grant Application and Reporting materials are on the horizon to be shared by Advanced Education! The CLN team has been hard at work assessing all the implications of the renewed Logic Model. We are thinking about the new Outcomes, Indicators and Measures, and how best we can support you and your colleagues as you start to plan for the year ahead.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be updating the e-Learning workshops on the CALP Portal, as well as updating or modifying documents, templates and videos to align with the new vison and logic model for CALP. We’ll keep you up to date on our progress online and with updates to the field at spring Regional Meetings. We want to make sure you have current resources at your disposal through this time of transition. And remember, you can always call or email your RSS if you have any questions about the latest changes.
We look forward to hearing from you in the coming months, and learning more about how we can best support you on this next leg of your journey!
Lisa Dickner
Executive Director
CALP Connections: January 2018
New Year… New Beginnings!
Happy 2018 to all! I hope everyone is well rested and spent some quality time with friends, family, and loved ones over the holidays.
While I had my feet up by the fire, I pondered what I would like 2018 to be. January is known to be the month for goal setting, personally and professionally.
Some of the questions I ask myself are:
- What do I want to accomplish by the end of June in my program?
- Do I need some PD to make it happen?
- If so, what type of training do I need, and when would be a good time to take it?
- How will I manage my work/life balance? How will I manage my stress level?
A personal journal is a great place to record your thoughts and goals. Your professional goals can be added to your profile on the CALP Portal under Training and Events, click on “My Learning Plan and History”. At the end of the granting year, it is a great place to refer back to and record your PD on the Final Report. Please set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, and Time Bound.
As long as the needle is moving, we are making progress. Wishing all of you great success in 2018!
Jackie Peterson
Treasurer, CLN Board of Directors