Happy New Year!

Can you believe it is 2017? It is very difficult to believe that 2016 is now in our past. The last twelve months have been busy and full for everyone, and we hope you all had the opportunity to spend some well-earned time relaxing, enjoying the holiday season and making memories with family and friends. 2017 promises to be another exciting year full of accomplishments and developments within the Community Adult Learning Program.

“In this new year, may you have a deep understanding of your true value and worth, an absolute faith in your unlimited potential, peace of mind in the midst of uncertainty, the confidence to let go when you need to, acceptance to replace your resistance, gratitude to open your heart, the strength to meet your challenges, great love to replace your fear, forgiveness and compassion for those who offend you, clear sight to see your best and true path, hope to dispel obscurity, the conviction to make your dreams come true, meaningful and rewarding synchronicities, dear friends who truly know and love you, a childlike trust in the benevolence of the universe, the humility to remain teachable, the wisdom to fully embrace your life exactly as it is, the understanding that every soul has its own course to follow, the discernment to recognize your own unique inner voice of truth, and the courage to learn to be still.”

- Janet Rebhan

Wishing our Community Adult Learning Community all the best for 2017.

Doray Veno
CLN Treasurer

CLN is Celebrating 30 Years in 2017!

This year, CLN will mark the 30th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Company of Coordinators!

In April of 1986, in the Point Cabin at Jasper Park Lodge, 35 Coordinators from Further Education Councils across Alberta came together for a planning meeting to create a grassroots support network. At that first meeting, a steering committee of seven was named to guide the process of creating an association that would become the Company of Coordinators, and then later, the Community Learning Network.

Less than a year later, on February 9th, 1987, an application for society status was approved and the Company of Coordinators – An Association for Further Education was officially incorporated under the Societies Act of the Province of Alberta.

We've seen a lot of changes in our time, and we have learned a lot as well. But we know that, to this day, it is the spirit of grassroots peer-to-peer support, collaborative learning and the passion for supporting each other in our roles that make the CALP community strong. There is a wealth of wisdom among our members.

Welcome Jackie Peterson to the CLN Board

At the November 2016 CLN Board meeting, we were pleased to welcome Jackie Peterson from Newell Further Education as a new Director of the Board.

Jackie Peterson has been the Program Coordinator at Newell Further Ed for over six years and has a true passion for lifelong learning. Her passion was reignited ten years ago when she realized the skills she acquired in college were becoming obsolete. Jackie went to her local CALP to update her computer skills and took management courses at Red Deer College.

"The new and practiced skills built my confidence in applying for the position at Newell Further Ed. My journey is why I believe in the Community Adult Learning Program, and now I've had the opportunity to help others on their learning journey!

Since starting at Newell Further Ed, I've had access to ongoing professional development and participated in many community projects which spurred me to obtain a seat as an Elected Official in the Town of Bassano. The decision-making at this level has helped shape our community and even assisted me in identifying community learning needs. I'm ecstatic about obtaining a seat on the CLN board where I can share my experience and knowledge as we work together as a team to support the CALPs throughout the province."

Welcome, Jackie!

"Pearls of Wisdom" Contest

Whether you have been in your position 30 days, or over 30 years, we know that you have lots of learnings to share.

The traditional gift for the 30 year anniversary is pearls, so we are going to celebrate CLN's 30th all year long with YOUR "Pearls of Wisdom"!

We are looking for 30 of the best Pearls of Wisdom from Alberta's CALP Community. We will feature these Pearls throughout the year in newsletters, on the CALP Portal, and of course as part of the celebrations at our 30th Annual General Meeting on September 27th in Edmonton.

If your submission is featured, we will send you a special token of appreciation. That's right - there are prizes to be won!

To share your Pearl of Wisdom, email Odette at news@calp.ca with the word "Pearl" in the subject line.

Learning is for Everyone (L.I.F.E) Training - Regional Delivery in Spring 2017

Learning disabilities affect at least 10% of Canadians. More than 50% of these experience difficulty in learning to read. Learning disabilities (LD) are recognized as a lifelong neurological disorder. It is estimated that at least 30% and possibly as many as 60% of adults in literacy and foundational learning programs have learning disabilities.

Adult foundational learning practitioners are not qualified to diagnose learning disabilities, but it is important to understand, recognize and support the unique learning challenges and needs of these learners.

CLN has heard from CALPs in every region of the province that having a better understanding of how learning disabilities impact adult learners, and how CALPs can better support these learners, is a high priority.

We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with CanLearn Society to bring L.I.F.E training on learning disabilities and ADHD to each of our 5 regions this spring.

Dr. Anne Price, Ph.D., R. Psych., Director, Clinical Services at CanLearn will facilitate this two-day face-to-face training opportunity for CALP staff.

Watch the CALP Portal for registration opening soon!

Save the Dates - Spring Regional Meetings

The CLN's Regional Support Staff have been busy planning for the spring. In addition to a great lineup of regional trainings coming up, we are finalizing plans for Spring Regional Meetings. Regional Meetings provide an opportunity for CALP Staff and Boards, Advanced Education and other system stakeholders to come together to share and learn from one another. If you don't have it marked on your calendar yet, be sure to save the date!

• North: April 27th, Grande Prairie
  
  
• West Central (Rural) - April 25th, Edson
  
  
• West Central (Edmonton) - March 15th, Edmonton
  
  
• East Central - May 4th, St. Paul
  
  
• Central - May 3rd, Big Valley
  
  
• South (Calgary) - March 7th, Calgary
  
  
• South (Lethbridge) - April 4th, Lethbridge

Your Regional Support Staff will send you further details in the coming weeks.

Free Webinars from Alberta Culture

This spring, CLN will once again partner with the Community Development branch of Alberta Culture and Tourism to offer free webinars to CALP Board Members and Staff. Based on your feedback and input, we have identified two key topics for this year's webinars: Board and Staff Roles and Responsibilities, and Succession Planning.

• Friday, January 27th: 10:00 am - 11:30 am
  Board and Staff Roles and Responsibilities
  
  Presenter: Angelo Murphy
  

  Angelo Murphy is a Community Development Officer for Alberta Culture and Tourism in Edmonton and has worked for the Ministry as a facilitator, assisting non-profit groups and other organizations for 26 years. He has provided training sessions for adult board members and volunteers in topic areas such as: board governance and leadership, strategic planning, meeting management, team-building and coalition-building.

• Tuesday, February 14th: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
  Succession Planning
  
  Presenter: Kim Ghostkeeper
  
  Kim Ghostkeeper is a Community Development Officer with Alberta Culture and Tourism. She has been in this position for just over 9 years. During that time, she has worked with well over 250 non-profit and volunteer boards on both board development and planning issues. Much of the work uses facilitation and participatory activities to help groups have better conversations and purposeful experiences with stronger outcomes. Her background is in Adult Education and Communications.

To participate in these sessions, all you need is access to a computer with high speed internet access and speakers for the audio. These will be interactive live webinars, and we encourage CALP Board and staff to join us online.

We continue to enjoy the great working partnership we have with Alberta Culture and Tourism, that enables us to bring you these valuable, accessible professional learning opportunities free of charge.

Quote of the Day

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.

-- Gloria Steinhem