CALP Connections: June 2017

As my time as Chair for the CLN ends I have been thinking a lot about gratitude. I am grateful I woke up this morning. I am grateful for the strong, supportive, dedicated staff at the CLN. I am grateful the roof in my office did not leak during the last rainfall. I am extremely grateful for the incredible group of women who have served on the CLN Board with me. I would like to use this, my final insert to the CLN Newsletter as Chair of the Board, to express my supreme gratitude to these women whom I have had the privilege of calling colleague and friend.

Thank you so much for volunteering to serve on the CLN Board over the years. I know that for all of you, it was an “add on” to the many other things that you do; including your CALP, your family, other volunteer opportunities and your social life. I appreciate that you were willing to serve and I hope you know your time and input was valued.

Thank you for taking calls and responding quickly to emails and helping brainstorm solutions. Thank you for taking the time to govern our organization appropriately.

Thank you for bringing your passion, intellect, insight, experience and resources to the table. Thank you for not allowing things in our organization that you would not have allowed in your own. I appreciate that you used all of your experience, skills, knowledge and education to move our organization forward.

Thank you for your humour and patience.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time serving as the Chair of this incredible organization and working with each one of you amazing, marvelous, fabulous people. I look forward to continuing to support the work of the CLN, as I move into a different role.

New thinking: Be Bold. Engage Others. Be Inclusive. Collective Voice. Empower. Generate. Enable others. Be the change we want to see. Be Interested. Be Curious. Be Engaged.

Have a wonderful summer!

Brenda Adams,
CLN Board Chair

Join Team CLN: New Indigenous Liaison Position

CLN has recently received funding from the Government of Alberta to add a full-time staff member to our team. The Indigenous Liaison will have a strong focus on supporting the CALP system to identify and address barriers in the adult literacy and learning process for Indigenous learners, increase awareness of Indigenous issues and learning needs, and promote cross-cultural understanding, communication and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Extensive travel will be required for this position. A valid Class 5 license and reliable transportation are mandatory for this position. The position will be managed remotely through the Community Learning Network provincial office in Edmonton, so candidates must have the ability to work from home or have access to a suitable work environment in their home community, including access to reliable high-speed internet.

CLN’s Indigenous Liaison will:

• Champion adult literacy and foundational learning within the context of the Community Adult Learning Program Guidelines
• Work as part of a collaborative team to support funded community-based adult learning organizations to help them successfully engage with Indigenous learners, communities, and Indigenous Peoples’ Post-Secondary Institutions (IPPSIs)
• Promote the CALP in Indigenous communities and facilitate access to CALP opportunities, services, and supports
• Support targeted professional development and training to Community Adult Learning Programs across Alberta

The successful candidate will have:

• Demonstrated relationship-building skills and facilitation skills
• Knowledge of adult learning in Alberta, including access to or connections with relevant system stakeholders, community partners and potential support resources
• Excellent communication skills, including reading, writing, verbal and presentation skills
• Work or volunteer experience with Indigenous communities, projects or peoples is required
• Minimum 3 – 5 years’ experience working in adult learning
• Post-secondary education in a related field (adult education, Indigenous studies, etc.)

CLICK HERE to download the complete job description.

This contracted position is for an average of 37.5 hours per week. It is currently funded for one year, with the strong possibility for renewed funding.

Deadline to apply: June 20th, 2017, or until a suitable candidate is found.

To apply, please send resume and cover letter with salary range expectations by email to Lisa Dickner, Executive Director, at ed@calp.ca.

Training Update: Introduction to Adult Foundational Learning (IAFL)

We are happy to report that registration for this year's Literacy and Learning Symposium is going well. So well, in fact, that Introduction to Adult Foundational Learning is now officially sold out!

We have started a waiting list for those who still would like to attend IAFL as part of the Symposium in Edmonton. If you would like your name to be added to the list, please contact Pat Halewich, Events Specialist, at events@calp.ca.

We are also already anticipating hosting at least two regional offerings of IAFL next fall, so please contact your Regional Support Staff at your earliest convenience to let them know if you are interested.

Call for Nominations: Outstanding Contribution to Community Adult Learning Award

As part of our commitment to community-based adult learning and literacy in Alberta, the Community Learning Network (CLN) Board of Directors would like to recognize the exceptional individuals or organizations who have made an outstanding contribution to the field over the past year (July 2016 to June 2017).

Nominees for the Outstanding Contribution to Community Adult Learning Award must be CALP organizations, employees or board members, and be a CLN member in good standing.

The nomination package and award guidelines are available in the "All Members and Partners" documents section on the Portal.

Berniece Gowan and Darmody Mumford accept the Outstanding Contribution Award
on behalf of Bow Valley College, presented by Terri Peters (September 2016)

Awards will be presented at the Literacy & Learning Symposium Banquet on Thursday, September 28th, 2017. The nominator(s) of award recipients will be invited to present the award. Further details of the award ceremony will be communicated to the nominators in early September 2017.

If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact the CLN office at (780) 485-4926/ toll-free: 1-877-485-4926 or by e-mail at board@calp.ca.

The deadline for nominations is August 29th, 2017.

CLN Board 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, and help advance our vision, where

“Community Adult Learning Programs are the hub for adult learning in every community.”

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 2017-18 at our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, September 27th.

Pearls of Wisdom from the Field: Spend time with other CALP staff

As CLN marks our 30th year, the "Pearl Anniversary", we're celebrating by sharing your Pearls of Wisdom all year long!

This month's featured Pearl comes to us from Spirit River.

My pearl of wisdom is for new CALP Staff...

Every chance you get to spend time with the "seasoned" members of these organizations GO!!!

I have learned so much from individuals that have been doing this for a while!!!!

They have become friends that I can call on.

Shelley Loroff

Shelley is the Coordinator at Peace Adult Learning Society, based in Spirit River.

To share your Pearl of Wisdom, email Odette at news@calp.ca with the word "Pearl" in the subject line. There are prizes to be won!

In Case You Missed It - CALP Portal Professional Learning Plan

Earlier this spring, we were excited to launch the new "Professional Learning Plan" feature on the CALP Portal.

If you have an account to access the Portal, you can now use it to track your own professional learning goals, training and PD, and even print a transcript of your training history. The Learning Plan also gives you the ability to reprint your own invoices and receipts.

We've had some very positive feedback so far, and some helpful advice. Based on feedback from YOU, we've made it even easier for you to find and use this great new feature.

To access your own Learning Plan and Training History, just log into the CALP Portal and navigate to the Training and Events calendar. You'll see a new menu item, which will take you to your personalized plan.

From here, you will be able to set goals for yourself, and flag content from the Portal that will help you meet your own learning objectives.

You can also add trainings you may have taken that are not tracked within the Portal to your own history!

If you're ready to get started, and would like a quick virtual tour, just take 3 minutes to watch this short video, or download the Learning Plan Start-Up Guide.

Happy Learning!

Reminder: CLN Year-End Survey and Membership Renewal

Thank you to everyone who has already taken a few minutes to complete their CLN Membership renewal, and to share your thoughts in our year-end survey.

CLN Member Services Survey

The 2016-17 CLN Member Survey is open to any CALP staff, board member or volunteer who has accessed CLN's services over the past year. This includes attending regional training, participating in regional meetings and networking, accessing your Regional Support Staff for coaching, mentoring or a site visit to your CALP, etc.

The survey only takes about 5 - 15 minutes to complete.

The information we gather through this survey helps us evaluate the impact of our programs and services. The data collected also helps us plan for the future, and to strive to continuously improve on the supports we are providing to you.

You can have your say online at https://www.calp.ca/?lid=TNJ5B-ATKFF-WRAGS&pkClient=1&pkForm=91 

Please feel free to share this link with others in your CALP. No Portal account is required to participate.

CLN Membership Renewal - Action Required

CLN Membership Renewal

If your organization receives a CALP grant from Advanced Education, you are automatically a member of the Community Learning Network.

There are NO membership fees or dues to pay. Our membership year is aligned to the CALP grant cycle, from July 1st to June 30th

To keep your membership in good standing, all we ask is that you confirm a few details about your CALP and provide information about the key contact people and your CALP's staff. This helps us ensure our records are current, so we can continue to keep you up to date about training and networking opportunities, new resources and supports, and other CALP news from across the province.

We will also use this information to ensure your CALP's listing in our online directory at https://www.calp.ca/english/main/find-a-calp-near-you.html is accurate, so learners anywhere in the province can easily find a CALP close to home.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Only ONE person from each CALP needs to complete the membership renewal. An email was sent out with a direct link to the membership renewal form on May 3rd. If you believe you should have received this email but did not, please contact Shaba at office@calp.ca, and she will resend the link.

New this year! OPTIONAL Survey on CALP Wages

When you complete your CLN Membership Renewal, the Senior Staff person at each CALP will also have the opportunity to participate in an anonymous survey about CALP wages and benefits. In 2015, CLN completed a similar survey, and compiled the data by region to share with other CALPs. We still receive frequent requests for this kind of information. As in our previous survey, the data we collect will be collected voluntarily, anonymously, and will only be shared in aggregate on the CALP Portal (with member login required).

Quote of the Day

"I am Summer, come to lure you away from your computer…

come dance on my fresh grass, dig your toes into my beaches."

Oriana Green