CALP Connections: March 2022

Welcome to March… with longer days, melting snow, and spring around the corner, woo hoo!!

My name is Kimberly Cairns, and I am the Adult & Family Literacy Program Manager with the Grande Prairie Council for Lifelong Learning. I was first introduced to CALP through friends who facilitated Family Literacy programs. My interest was piqued, and I applied to be a part-time Family Literacy Facilitator. Even though I enjoyed my other full-time work, I quickly realized that the highlight of each week was leading these parent-child programs that supported literacy learning. Couple this with the joy that came from seeing adults gain confidence as I taught a Basic Computer Skills class triggered a desire to shift my work focus. In the Fall of 2014 this desire was met as I hired on to be a coordinator with GPCLL.

Looking back, I was ill equipped to take on the coordinator role, but I am grateful for the quality training provided through the CALP system, by our own fabulous CLN. My personal learning and growth have been significant and has enabled me to more effectively serve the learners who come through our doors.

I am also privileged to serve as a CLN Board Member. When I was asked if I had ever thought about applying to be a Board Member, my first thoughts were that I haven’t been in the industry long enough and don’t have the ‘training’ to be on the Board. My lack of equipping and confidence would have held me back, but to be able to serve in this new way pushed me to complete the application.

I am new to serving on the CLN Board but not new to serving others. Over the years I have found that the benefit of serving greatly outweighs my inadequacies and fears. I resonate with Anne Frank’s words, “No one has ever become poor by giving.” Serving others is a form of giving that has benefitted me perhaps even more than those to whom I’ve reached out. I have met new people and made lifelong friends. I have learned new skills and tried things that I didn’t think I could do! I have had to look beyond myself and my circumstances, which in turn boosted my mental and emotional health. I have had a sense of purpose and achievement when contributing to a broader picture. There are so many benefits to serving!

As I begin my journey on the CLN Board, I look forward to what I can contribute from my learning and skills as well as to what I will gain because of time with these ladies. I hope you too have found benefit in your service! If you are looking for new areas to serve, consider joining the CLN Board.

I encourage you to serve to become rich!

Kimberly Cairns, CLN Board Director
Adult & Family Literacy Program Manager, Grande Prairie Council for Lifelong Learning

New CALP Funding Opportunity!!

Advanced Education recently announced they will be investing $2.9 million into the CALP system. CALP organizations can apply for additional one-time funding to expand or enhance the work they are doing under the CALP grant.

The application process is short! Completed applications are due by Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 4:00 pm. To find out more see the application, FAQs and upcoming webinar links below:

1. Community Adult Learning Program Expanded Service Grant 2022 – 2024 Application on the CALP Portal. Please note, this grant extension will supplement your existing grant agreement and must align with the CALP Guidelines 
   
   
2. Community Adult Learning Program Application - Expanded Service Grant FAQs 
   
   
3. Ask AE Anything about the CALP Expanded Service Grant - Monday, March 7th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm

You are invited!

Last month we asked you to let us know your thoughts and feelings about CLN-led events. We have already applied that feedback to our upcoming regional meetings and gatherings. CALP staff see value in a blended approach to these professional communities and we couldn’t agree more. The provincial networking and regional connections are prioritized in the offerings for May 2022.  

This May, for the first time ever, the CLN is pleased to offer a Provincial Spring Meeting. We are excited to see CALP staff from across the province in one virtual room. This online meeting is your opportunity to hear key messages, celebrate years of service with fellow staff, and network with your peers across the province and your region.

Please join us for an energizing and collaborative afternoon on:

Monday, May 2nd - 1:30-3:30 pm

Now it's time to step outside your ‘Zoom box’! CLN will also be hosting Spring Regional Gatherings to address the long overdue request for in-person regional connections and celebration. These informal gatherings will offer space to reconnect, meet new people, and enjoy personal connections with staff from your region, as we look forward to a new year and the future of our work.

Regional Gatherings (in-person):

Friday, May 6th (North)

Friday, May 13th (West)

Wednesday, May 25th (Central)

Thursday, May 26th (East)

Friday, May 27th (South)

Watch for more details or feel free to reach out to your Regional Support Staff.

New and Upcoming Training Events and Connections Cafés

NEW May Training Events 

Check out and register now for the PD that is coming in May!

Adult Literacy and Learning in Family Literacy Programs – Tuesdays, April 26, May 3 & 10 -  This training will provide tools to address the ‘how to’ deliver fun and engaging family literacy programs that align with the CALP Guidelines

New CALP Staff Webinar – May 4 - If you are new in your role in CALP, and still looking to get the lay of the land, please join us to connect with your colleagues from across the province.

Staff Picks – Building Literacy e-Learning – May 11 - Join Emily Robinson Leclair to explore Building Literacy: A Learner-Centred Guide for Teachers, Tutors and Practitioners of Adult Literacy. Written and narrated by Dr. Allan Quigley to share a lifetime of knowledge and experience. The guide highlights proven methods and research-based approaches to adult literacy and foundational learning and provides practical tools and useable approaches you can use today!

Upcoming Training

Check out and register now for the PD that is coming in March and April! Don’t wait long. Registration closes soon for some of these upcoming events!

Staff Picks – Serving Adult with Learning Disabilities in a CALP Setting –  March 10 –  Come and join Cheryl Lovstrom to learn about this new interactive online guide for CALP staff. It is designed to help you understand learning disabilities, how they impact adult learners, universal program design and instructional strategies for both reading and math.

Introduction to Adult Foundational Learning – Thursdays, March 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21 – This CALP required training aligns with the Government of Alberta Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) Guidelines and is intended to give CALP-funded practitioners fundamental knowledge for supporting adult foundational learners in communities across Alberta.

• Register for the AM session
• Register for the PM session

Psychological First Aid - Red Deer – March 24 & 25 – This course will support CALP-funded staff, volunteers and system partners to develop a personal understanding of the effects of stress, loss, trauma and grief on others, with emphasis on self-care and personal protection.

Psychological First Aid - Medicine Hat – March 28 & 29 – This course will support CALP-funded staff, volunteers and system partners to develop a personal understanding of the effects of stress, loss, trauma and grief on others, with emphasis on self-care and personal protection.

New CALP Staff Webinar – March 30 – If you are new in your role in CALP, and still looking to get the lay of the land, please join us to connect with your colleagues from across the province.

Psychological First Aid - Lethbridge – April 11 & 12 – This course will support CALP-funded staff, volunteers and system partners to develop a personal understanding of the effects of stress, loss, trauma and grief on others, with emphasis on self-care and personal protection.

Serving Adults with Learning Disabilities – Tuesdays, April 12 & 19  Join author, Karen Plourde, for an exclusive introduction to her upcoming, “Serving Adults with Learning Disabilities: In a CALP Setting” manual. In this session you will gain a deeper understanding of adults with learning disabilities and how to adapt instruction to support literacy and numeracy learning using the manual. Transform your CALP with inclusive program design and delivery.

Staff Picks - Facilitating Adult Literacy Learning e-Learnings – April 13 – Join Rebecca Still to get acquainted with the new e-learnings on the CALP Portal to help you with preparing lessons for reading and writing. 

“Let’s Roll With It! – Take TWO”

If you missed these sessions at Symposium 2021, here’s a chance to learn from some of our top-rated Symposium presenters in 2022. Register for free now!

• Understanding and Working with your Board of Directors - Keith Seel – April 4 - 10:30 - 11:30 am
• Meet-the-Author – Timothy Caulfield, Relax, Dammit!: A User's Guide to the Age of Anxiety - April 5 – 1:30 - 2:30 pm

Regional Connections Cafés

Grab a coffee, bring a question, share a success or challenge, stay for five minutes or settle in for all sixty. These monthly Connections Cafés are an opportunity for you to connect with CALP staff in your region.

Reminder: CLN's 35th Anniversary Contest!

Enter for your chance to win a brand-new tablet, or a $150.00 gift card!

What does it mean to you to be part of the Community Learning Network?

We are looking for creative ways to celebrate and showcase what CLN means to you, and your organization. Create or capture a visual to share with the CALP community, highlighting why and how you think CLN supports you and your CALP. How will you SHOW what CLN means to you?

Some examples can include:

• Create a Collage
• Capture photos of a team activity or celebration with your colleagues
• Build a model or make a sculpture
• Paint a picture, draw a comic strip or create an Infographic
• Make a short video (90 second maximum)

Email your entry to Shaba at office@calp.ca 

Deadline to enter is Wednesday, March 9th.

We will feature the projects and the winners in April CALP Connections newsletter, and on the CALP Portal.

Literacy in Action

Statistics have the power to get our attention and cause us to stop and think. But statistics on their own do not really tell us much. It’s the stories about the statistics that gives them life and brings meaning to what we are talking about. For instance, if I say that 52% of Canadians have strong literacy skills, you might not really know what that means. But if I say that 52% of Canadians have the literacy skills they need to ‘participate in society, achieve goals and develop their knowledge and potential’, you begin to develop a better picture of what that means.

You might want to tell the story of why your CALP is important to your community. Using statistics to tell your story can emphasize the need for the work you do and influence others to support your work.

Adult Learning and Foundational Skills in Canada is one report that aims to tell the story that gives meaning to the statistics. The report uses statistical data from PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) to determine who seeks out learning opportunities, what are the barriers to learning and who is not participating in learning opportunities.

You can find the report on this website. 

Sources: OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, 2013 (52% is the inverse of 48% of Canadians who have low literacy skills) Adult Learning and Foundational Skills in Canada 2020

Rebecca Still, Literacy Specialist
Community Learning Network

This Month's Spotlight

This month's spotlight is Building Literacy: A Learner-Centred Guide for Teachers, Tutors and Practitioners of Adult Literacy.

You may recognize the name Dr. Allan Quigley. If not, the CLN is excited to introduce him as the author of Building Literacy: A Learner-Centred Guide for Teachers, Tutors and Practitioners of Adult Literacy.

Allan Quigley has a long history of working in the literacy field. He has written this Guide to share his knowledge and insights with the hopes it can help others working to Build Literacy. Allan brings the unique perspective of being both an academic and adult literacy practitioner to this e-Learning.

The Building Literacy Guide is intended to apply directly to the work of adult literacy practitioners. Dr. Quigley has compiled a lifetime of knowledge and experience into this Guide. The Building Literacy Guide highlights proven methods and research-based approaches to the field of adult literacy and foundational learning. Within each section you will find practical tools and useable approaches you can use tomorrow and into the future.

In addition, Allan shares his own voice and stories in audio recordings throughout the guide. Allan is an engaging and dynamic speaker who truly brings this guide to life. Watch for this icon to hear directly from Allan.

Reminder, the CALP Portal e-Learnings are intentionally developed to include smaller sections that can be read or listened to at your own pace and in your own time.

This is an in-depth e-Learning with a total of seven sections. From a Brief History of Literacy Landmarks (section 2) to How Adults Learn (section 4) followed by Motivation, Methods and Teaching Approaches (section 6) you won’t want to miss a section! You can use the buttons at the top or bottom of each page to navigate and to track your progress. You can mark sections as "Complete" and you will automatically move to the next section. You can also click the "Bookmark" button to make sure you can easily navigate back to your favourite tips and resources any time you log in to the CALP Portal.