Winter Wishes from Team CLN

It's hard to believe December is here again! As the calendar year winds down, many people enjoy taking some time to reflect on the year that was, and to look forward to what the year ahead may hold.

2017 was a special year for the Community Learning Network, as we celebrated our 30th Anniversary. Thank you to all those who shared their "Pearls of Wisdom" throughout the year, and to those who joined us to celebrate in person at the Literacy and Learning Symposium. What a cake!

2018 promises to be another year of change and growth within the Community Adult Learning Program. We can't wait to set off on the next leg of this journey with all of you!

Many CALPs will be taking a break through the winter holiday season, and the CLN team will be too. We hope you all have the opportunity to spend some well-earned time resting, relaxing and rejuvenating. We look forward to reconnecting with you all in the New Year!

- Team CLN

CLN Board Welcomes Colleen Thiessen as Director

This fall, Colleen Thiessen, Executive Director of the Wetasikiwin Community Learning Program, joined the CLN Board of Directors.

Meet Colleen

I am a proud Albertan with rural roots in Central Alberta. I was raised on a mixed farm south west of Ponoka until age eleven, when my family moved south to Calgary.

Upon graduating from high school, I attended the University of Calgary, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English.

My career path has been an adventure including success in telecommunications and advertising sales, classroom experience in public schools and an ESL contract in South Korea.

I have been the Executive Director of the Wetaskiwin Community Learning Program since 2012. Working in a CALP was never on my career radar; however, looking back I can see how each previous career experience has played a role in preparing me to be successful in my current position. I didn’t choose this career, it chose me and I’m so glad it did.

CALP Logic Model Review: Project Update

We are happy to report that we have received thoughtful and enthusiastic input from many CALP practitioners and staff as part of the project to review the CALP Logic Model and Evaluation Framework. Thank you to all who have been so generous with their feedback through the focus groups and online surveys!

In November, we had planned to hold a webinar so more people could take part in the process. The webinar was postponed, but we are pleased to announce a new date in January.

Please join us for this online session, where we will share the feedback we have gathered so far. You will have the opportunity to see proposed revisions, provide your thoughts, and ask questions about any of the proposed changes.

Date: January 16th, 2018

Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Register for the webinar on the CALP Portal Training and Events Calendar at https://www.calp.ca/?lid=XMU9W-587NM-UTMQH&comaction=view&pid=6KCN7-GR7VR-E6MSC&q=logic

DEADLINE: Symposium Call for Presenters

The Community Learning Network is currently accepting session proposals for the 2018 Literacy and Learning Symposium, but the deadline to submit your proposal is fast approaching!

We are building a program that will include sessions and presentations from September 25th, 2018 to September 28th, 2018, between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm. The conference program will be a combination of full-day, half-day and 80-90 minute breakout sessions.

Benefits to Presenters:

• Advertisement and acknowledgment on website and printed materials developed for the event
• Breakfasts, coffee breaks and lunches during the Symposium will be provided at the hotel on the day you present
• Presenting to a wide audience of literacy and learning practitioners across Alberta
• We offer fair compensation for presenters

The deadline to submit your proposal is Friday, December 8th.

For more detailed information, and to submit a proposal, please go to https://www.calp.ca/symposium/home/lls-2018-call-for-presenters.html

Bill 17 (Employment Standards) FREE Information Sessions

Please join us for this webinar on Bill 17, the legislation that governs Alberta’s Employment Standards Code, which comes into effect on January 1st, 2018.

Date: January 11th, 2018

Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Jay Stewart, Director, Labour Relations Policy & Legislation with the Government of Alberta, will provide a presentation on what changes you need to know about, and the tools and resources that are available to help you ensure your CALP is in compliance. There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions. Jay will touch on topics including:

• Types of leave and leave eligibility
• Overtime and overtime agreements
• General holidays and vacation pay

This session is offered to the CALP system free of charge. To register, simply go to the Training and Events calendar and click on the "I am attending" button.

Looking for information before January?

Alberta Labour is also hosting an open series of webinars provincially throughout December. You can find more information, register for one of the December sessions or access previously recorded webinars online at https://www.alberta.ca/employment-standards-webinars.aspx

January 27th is Family Literacy Day!

Family Literacy Day 2018 is less than two months away!

Each year, ABC Life Literacy leads the country in marking this national day of awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family.

The theme for Family Literacy Day 2018 is Learn at play, every day.

ABC Life Literacy has a variety of free downloadable resources, including posters, bookmarks, activity sheets and an event coordinators guide at FamilyLiteracyDay.ca that you can use to promote family literacy in YOUR community.

And don’t forget to register your event on ABC Life Literacy's Family Literacy Day Events calendar. This year, all events submitted by January 17, 2018 will be entered into a draw for a chance to win an FLD Prize Pack to arrive before Family Literacy Day!

Start the New Year with a Personalized Learning Plan!

Every year, when January rolls around, many people start the New Year by making resolutions and setting personal goals.

Did you know that the CALP Portal can help you set, manage and meet your own professional development goals? If you have an account to log in to the Portal, you also already have access to your very own "My Learning Plan and Training History"!

To find your own Learning Plan, just look for the link on the Training and Events page once you are logged in to your account:

Once you have created some goals, you can add notes, keep a record of your accomplishments, and even bookmark helpful content from across the Portal so you can easily access it right from your Learning Plan.

You can also find and print your past registrations for events you have registered for through the Portal. You also have the ability to add other training you have attended, generate and print a "Training History" report. This short video will walk you through how to get started or you can download the Learning Plan Start-up Guide.

Happy Learning!

Quote of the Day

"It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready.”

― Sarah Kay