CALP Connections: April 2020

“Encourage, lift and strengthen one another. For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all. For we are connected, one and all.” ~ Deborah Day

In this time, like no other we have known, we need one another in ways we could not have predicted. While we may not be physically close, let us be close in ways that matter and give us all strength to face each new day.

The CLN is but a short virtual connection away and ready to support you on this evolving journey. We’ve put on our dancing shoes and will move fast or slow, creating new moves or trusting in steps we know by heart – just say the word. And if you’re not sure of the word, we’ll sway in time to the music and just be with you.

Our team continues to assess your training and professional development needs and recognizes that the pace of change and new learning is relentless right now. We will lead when it’s helpful, follow you where you go or walk beside you – today, tomorrow and in the days to come.

Warm and healthy wishes from our team to yours.

Doray Veno                     Lisa Dickner     
CLN Chairperson           CLN Executive Director   

Regional Huddles

Representatives from the CALP team at Advanced Education will be joining us for online Regional Meetings in late May this year, but we still want to provide you with the opportunity to come together as a region.

It would be a shame to miss the networking and connecting that we normally enjoy at regional meetings, so please join us for this chance to “huddle up” with your colleagues and friends in your region.

Please join us online, as we reflect on the 2019/20 year, and look to the opportunities that lie ahead!

Watch for more details to come. Click on your region to register. 

• South - Monday, April 27th 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Central - Tuesday, April 28th from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• East-Central - Wednesday, April 29th 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• West-Central - Wednesday, April 29th 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
• North - Thursday, April 30th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Update to 2020 Spring Regional Meetings

As the situation around COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to evolve, we have decided to cancel all face-to-face trainings, events and Regional Meetings until June. 

Please note that dates have changed for your Spring Regional Meetings, and all Regional Meetings will be online in Zoom. To register please make sure you are logged in to your CALP Portal account. You can click on the links below to go directly to the registration page for your meeting.

The focus of these online meetings will be mainly to share news and updates from the CALP team at Advanced Education.

North Region - Tuesday, May 19th – 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Join your host Tanis Harms, CLN Regional Support Staff, and Jasmine Breti and Ben Hartt from Advanced Education. 

East Central Region - Wednesday, May 20th – 9:30 am – 11:30 am. Join your host Val Rathjen, CLN Regional Support Staff, and Iona Neumeier Ben Hartt and Jasmine Breti from Advanced Education. 

West-Central Region - Wednesday, May 20th – 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Join your host Rebecca Still, CLN Regional Support Staff, and Amanda Giang and Jasmine Breti from Advanced Education.

Central Region - Thursday, May 21st – 9:30 am – 11:30 am. Join your host Cheryl Lovstrom, CLN Regional Support Staff, and Amanda Giang and Ben Hartt from Advanced Education.

South Region - Thursday, May 21st – 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Join your host Emily Robinson Leclair, CLN Regional Support Staff, and Amanda Giang and Ben Hartt from Advanced Education.

Please note the deadline to register for all the meetings is May 14th. Zoom links to the meetings will be emailed to you from your RSS.

If you have any questions please contact your RSS directly. 

CLN Board of Directors: Call for Applications

The CLN Board is currently recruiting Community Adult Learning Program Staff and/or Board Members to join our team. 

We’re looking for individuals who will bring their passion and their skills to the CLN Board.

If you are interested in learning more, please see the CLN Board Recruitment package on the CALP Portal (member login required) or email board@calp.ca.

The CLN Membership will elect our Board for 2020-21 at our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, September 29th, 2020.

Call for Nominations: 2020 Alberta Literacy and Learning Awards

Outstanding Contribution to Community Adult Learning Award

Each year, the CLN Board of Directors recognizes the achievements and dedication to community-based adult learning by presenting the Outstanding Contribution to Community Adult Learning Award at the Literacy and Learning Symposium.

The award is open to CALP-funded organizations, employees and board members. If you know of a CALP who has been exceptional throughout the 2019-20 year, please submit a nomination.

You can find the Award guidelines and the nomination package by clicking here.

You can send your nomination to board@calp.ca.

The deadline to submit a nomination package is June 30, 2020.

2019 Outstanding Contribution winners:

Left to right: Jana Thomson and Mona Crocker, Executive Director of Rocky Learning Centre

Roberta Rogers, Chair of the Brooks Community Adult Learning Council Board was recognized for her outstanding commitment and contributions to the community. Unfortunately, Roberta was unable to attend the banquet, but we are so happy she was recognized at the Banquet.

Ruth Hayden Family Literacy Practitioner Award

The Centre for Family Literacy established the Ruth Hayden Family Literacy Practitioner Award to recognize accomplished individual practitioners and the family literacy field as a whole. This award is presented annually at the Literacy and Learning Symposium, to an individual who has excelled in the field of family literacy, maintained a high quality of service to participants and the community, and shown a commitment to their own learning.

You can download the information package and nomination criteria here.

To submit a nomination, email: info@famlit.ca with the subject line “Attention Ruth Hayden Award Committee”
or mail to: Centre for Family Literacy, 11642 142 Street, Edmonton AB T5M 1V4

Please submit nominations by 4:30 on September 4th, 2020.

2019 Winner of the Ruth Hayden Family Literacy Practitioner Award:

Left to right: Kimberly Cairns and Kim Chung from Centre for Family Literacy

2020 Council of the Federation Literacy Award Nominations Open!

The Council of the Federation Literacy Award was created in 2004 by Canada's Premiers to recognize literacy achievements in every province and territory.

The award recognizes one Canadian organization from each province and territory for outstanding achievements, innovative practices and excellence in literacy. Recipients create or provide literacy programs, services or projects benefitting adult learners.

Their work helps adult learners improve their lives by developing:

• literacy skills
• foundational learning skills
• essential skills

An independent selection committee will review nominations and select the award recipient. The Government of Alberta and the Council of the Federation will announce the 2020 award recipients on International Literacy Day, September 8, 2020. The Alberta award recipient will receive a Council of the Federation Literacy medallion and a certificate signed by the Premier of Alberta. The formal award ceremony will take place on October 1, 2020 at the annual Literacy and Learning Symposium in Edmonton.

For more information or to fill out the form to nominate an Alberta community literacy organization go to: https://www.alberta.ca/literacy-awareness-events-videos.aspx

The nomination deadline is May 29, 2020.

Adult Learner Speaker Recommendations for Symposium

The Symposium planning committee is in search of Adult Learner Speakers for the Opening Ceremonies on Tuesday, September 29th as well as the Awards Banquet on Thursday, October 1st. If you know an adult learner who would be interested in speaking about their learning journey within CALP, please click here to find out how you can submit your recommendation.

Note: While we recognize that these are uncertain times, planning for the Symposium is moving ahead and we hope to see you all in person this fall. However, in light of the current and ever-evolving COVID-19 public health emergency, we are also busy making contingency plans for the event. These plans include finding new ways to bring you the most valuable learning and connections you have come to expect from this annual PD event.

One thing we know for sure – because every year you tell us in your event evaluations - hearing from the adult learners who share their learning journeys with us is a highlight that inspires us all in our work. Therefore, should the Symposium planning committee need to shift our plans, our team will work to support the selected learners, for their benefit and ours, to share their stories with our system.

Online PD Opportunities for Adult Learning and Literacy Practitioners

For those of you looking for online PD related to adult learning and literacy, here is a Literacy Practitioner Professional Development session that is being offered from Nova Scotia:

Nova Scotia Literacy Practitioner Training and Certification Program

This training program is for volunteer tutors and paid instructors. Those who work with adult learners in some other capacity, such as coordinators, support staff, board members, and administrators may find some of the modules useful to their work as well. https://www.literacyns.ca/ptc.htm

For more PD go to Corrie Rhyasen Erdman's post on the Portal and Tanis Harms' blog Learning is in your hands: Top 5 Areas for CALP Portal PD.

CLN is working on opportunities to connect and learn online. Watch the Portal for details!