CALP Connections: May 2020

Changing But Not Changing

So much has changed yet so much remains the same. As we are all adjusting to this changing reality of every day life, we take comfort in what has not changed.

I’m thinking specifically of our Community Adult Learning Programs who continue to do amazing work, perhaps in different ways. Across the province, CALPs are there reaching out and connecting with learners. Building relationships with prospective students, tutors, and partners has always been important. In this time of uncertainity, continuing those relationships is more important than ever for everyone, for they help maintain a sense of normalcy. There are no short conversations these days; those that we are reaching value these interactions.

What has not changed are the supports that are there for CALPs. These include the CLN’s Provincial and Regional Support Staff, the Rural Routes team, the urban Professional Development Specialists from ECALA and Calgary Learns, and everyone who has readily shared ideas and resources via the Portal and online meetings. It seems that without missing a heartbeat, CALPs have acquired the skills and resources needed to continue learning activities for their students.

And at the heart of all this is the Community Learning Network - always there, proactive and responding. Now is an opportune time for CALP Staff, who want to share their skills and talents in a new way, by becoming part of the governing body of the Community Learning Network, the CLN Board.

For more information please see the CLN Board Recruitment package on the CALP Portal (member login required) or email board@calp.ca. The deadline for nominations is August 25th. 

I also wanted to share how we celebrated Read On Volunteers during National Volunteer Week. 

We invited our tutors to join us at a Tim Horton’s drive-thru, where they ordered a coffee and a doughnut, courtesy of Read On. They came, some in cars, bikes, and our intrepid tutor Teena, on her motor scooter. 

Learning to do things differently!

Lil Radley, CLN Board Director
Literacy Services Coordinator, Lethbridge Public Library Read On Program

CALP Professional Development Annual Survey now open

Last year Advanced Education, training partners and PD staff collaborated to develop one joint survey on the CALP PD system. The numbers of responses we received in 2019 exceeded our individual efforts in previous years, so we are excited to run the joint survey again.  

Whether you have accessed CALP-funded professional development services or supports from the Community Learning Network, Calgary Learns, ECALA and/or Rural Routes, this survey will allow you to provide anonymous feedback and input into the CALP PD system. Your input helps us measure the impact of the work we do to support you in your role, and is one of the ways you can contribute to actively shaping the CALP system.

Because several organizations are distributing the survey, you might receive the same link several times. Please take the survey only once. We encourage everyone on your team to complete the survey, regardless of their role within your organization. We want to hear from all staff, instructors, leaders, and volunteers who are accessing CALP Professional Development opportunities. To help us collect a wide range of responses and reach potential participants, please distribute this survey widely within your organization.

This survey will stay open until June 5, 2020. This survey is administered through NorQuest College. All data collected through this survey is anonymous and is not linked to your e-mail or your organization.

After completing this survey, you will have a chance to enter a draw to win one of seven Chapters gift cards valued at $75 for your organization. One gift card will be awarded in each of the regions (North, East-Central, Central, West-Central, South, Calgary, and Edmonton).

This survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete.

Go to the link: www.tinyurl.com/2020CALP. Please contact research@norquest.ca if you have any questions about the survey.

2020-21 CLN Membership Renewal Coming Soon!

CLN is getting ready to send out the 2020-21 Membership Renewal later this month.

A few things to keep in mind before you receive and fill out the renewal:

• If your organization receives a CALP grant directly from Alberta 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

The deadline to complete your membership renewal will be June 15th, 2020.

The membership renewal form will be sent out by direct email to the Senior Staff person at each CALP. To keep your membership in good standing, all we ask is that you confirm a few details about your CALP, provide up-to-date contact information for key staff, and let us know a bit about your CALP's other 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.

2020 Online Spring Regional Meetings with Advanced Education

Just a reminder that the 2020 Online Spring Regional Meetings with Advanced Education are coming soon. If you have not had a chance to register please do so soon!

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 to 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 to 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 Thursday, 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. 

Register Now for Upcoming Trainings and Webinars

We are happy to announce that registration is now open for 2 new webinars with Terri Peters and Dr. Wayne Hammond, more CALP Database Bits and Bytes and Ask Us Anything sessions.

Be sure to register soon, or save the date if you still need to figure out which one you can attend.

Low Tech Foundational Learning with Terri Peters - May 12th, 1:30 - 2:30 pm. Deadline to register is May 8th. 

Strengths-Based Approach to Prepare People to Thrive with Dr. Wayne Hammond - May 26th and 28th, 10:00 - 11:00 am. Deadline to register is May 22nd.

If you have any questions about these upcoming webinars please contact CLN Training Manager, Corrie Rhyasen Erdman at training@calp.ca.

Ask Us Anything about the CALP Portal - May 14th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm. Deadline to register is May 12th. 

CALP Database Bits and Bytes: Entering Learning Opportunities - May 25th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm. Deadline to register is May 21st. 

CALP Database Bits and Bytes: Entering and Registering Learners - May 26th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm. Deadline to register is May 21st. 

CALP Database Bits and Bytes: Timesheets - May 27th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm. Deadline to register is May 21st. 

CALP Database Bits and Bytes: Evaluation and Final Reports - May 28th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm. Deadline to register is May 21st. 

Ask Us Anything about the CALP Final Report template - June 2nd, 1:30 - 2:45 pm. Deadline to register is May 28th. 

If you have any questions about these upcoming Ask Us Anything or Bits and Bytes sessions please contact South Regional Support Staff, Emily Robinson Leclair at south@calp.ca.

Save the Date for Upcoming Trainings

We are excited to announce two upcoming multi-day sessions to open for registration on Monday, May 11th. Be sure to save the date until then!

Tech Talk 

Dates: June 2, 3 & 4
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: online via zoom

This online training will provide opportunities for CALP staff  to gain the understanding they need to be flexible and adaptable when training others in technology. This interactive session will provide tools that CALP staff can use to encourage learners to identify common concepts, structures and navigational methods, rather than a “step-by-step, how-to approach”.

Participants will:

• gain an understanding of common concepts, structures and navigation methods present across the many different technology tools found in work, play and community that include but not limited to tablets, phones and computers
• be able to transfer this knowledge to enhance existing classes or design new ones that better address the rapid changes occurring in the world of technology

This online training includes much of the content offered by Tech Talk one-day face to face training. It will be offered over three sessions. 

Serving CALP Learners with Learning Disabilities with Confidence

Dates: June 8, 9, and 10
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: online via zoom
Trainer: Karen Plourde

Your role as a CALP practitioner uniquely situated to positively impact this under-served population. Most of the adult learners CALPs serve have learning disabilities. Your CALP can stop the cycle of failure for this under-served and misunderstood population! 

Learn how to identify and serve adults with learning disabilities with confidence.

• LD Identification- how to identify a CALP learner with a disability
• Assessments- formal and informal
• LD influence- dyslexia, auditory processing, spatial deficits and their effects on academic learning
• LD Information sites- where to look for deeper information
• LD Accommodations-   prepare your learner for post-secondary by understanding equal access to education
• LD Advocacy - yes, you can and should advocate for the LD learner
• Overall Approach – help your learner comprehend, progress, retain and recall … the components of a successful learning approach

Read With Sight and Sound

Dates: June 17 and 18
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: online via zoom
Trainer: Karen Plourde

Read With Sight and Sound is a reading program that will help anyone learn to read easily and painlessly.

No more sounding out of words. No more struggle. 

Bring reading success to the learners in your CALP. 

Allow your learners to experience success quickly and confidentially, working independently and building confidence as each story learned connects and builds exponentially toward surprising and delightful reading ability.

This program is easily learned by the CALP provider and the learner. 

As a CALP practitioner you will learn how to:

• introduce the program to your learner
• set up the program
• record the learner
• monitor learner progress 

You will celebrate as your learner develops reading skill, confidence and success.

A complimentary copy of the RSS Program will be supplied to each CALP who registers for this training.

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 30th, 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 benefiting 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 29th, 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.

Alberta Nonprofit Network Survey Report on Impact of Covid-19 on Organizations and Post Pandemic Paths

To help provide a picture of the impacts of Covid-19, the Alberta Nonprofit Network (ABNN) conducted a survey between March 30 and April 5. 2020.

They received 474 responses. The 5 current impacts identified most were:

• Challenges related to staff and volunteers needing to work remotely (90%)
• Disruption of service to clients and communities (90%)
• Adjusting in-person events to a virtual platform (86%)
• Staff absences due to child care requirements such as daycare and school closures (80%)
• Reduced revenue from fundraising (e.g., cancelled events, donations; 77%)

The 5 anticipated impacts identified were:

• Concern over low financial reserve (75%)
• Increased demand for supports/services from clients and communities (71%)
• Reduced hours for staff due to budget constraints (69%)
• Difficulty engaging volunteers (68%)
• Reduced revenue from earned income (e.g., sales or fees; 65%)

Read the final report 

IntegralOrg, who offer education and support in foundational areas like governance, legal compliance, financial management, strategic planning, change management, and risk management, has highlighted strategic options to help you navigate forward from this pandemic:

• Building Awareness: Helping organizations arrive at a commonly held view of their current capacities through conducting  a rapid Organizational Assessments.
• Refocusing Operating Models: Helping organizations consider what they may need to let go of through undertaking a structured in-depth Sustainability Analysis that provide insight and options for strategic downsizing to preserve core organizational and programmatic functions.
• Reforming Organizational Structures: Helping organizations ask the hard questions about their future structures including mergers, strategic alliances and dissolutions.  

To find out more about the routes to move forward read the blog Embracing Crisis with Discipline or email them at admin@integralorg.ca.

Also, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt organizations and pose challenges to business as usual, IntegralOrg has collaborated with Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations and Fort McMurray's FuseSocial to create a toolkit of essential human resource supports for nonprofit employers. To find out more go to https://integralorg.ca/covid-19/resource-kit-for-employers/. 

Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award

The submission period for the 2020 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award (LIA) is now open. 

The Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award honours innovation in the development, implementation and delivery of adult literacy or adult-integrated family literacy programs delivered by a community organization in Canada. The adult-focused literacy program makes a positive contribution to the lives of the participants as well as the community, and could serve as a model for other organizations to adopt. 

In addition to the top award of $20,000, up to four other submissions may be selected to receive $5,000 each. This award helps to build capacity for grassroots literacy organizations in Canada.
 
Visit abclifeliteracy.ca/lia for submission information and to access the application page -- this year, applications can be completed entirely online. Applications will be accepted until 3 PM MDT on June 1st, 2020. 

Back again this year they are holding an info webinar on Thursday, April 30th at 9.30 AM MDT to talk about how you can apply for the Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award. They will highlight some past winning programs and why they were selected. Go to this link to sign up for the webinar.