CALP Connections: May 2021

I was always curious about the Community Learning Network; curious as to how it worked to serve the needs of CALPs across the province. My interest and curiosity led to my decision to become a CLN board member. These six years have been a wonderful journey. As this year, three directors will finish their terms, there is an opportunity for you to join the CLN board.

Is there a typical board member? They share some characteristics but are different in other ways. They are members of the Community Learning Network, and come from one of the 85 CALPs across the province. Their CALP roles vary. They could be learning coaches, executive directors, coordinators of literacy programs, essential skills coaches, assistant coordinators or have other roles as in their CALP. Some may have been in their CALP role for a few years, others for many years. All are passionate about serving the adult learners in their communities.

New board members bring new ideas and energy that is exciting and creative for everyone. All bring unique ideas and perspectives from their region of the province, contributing to the thoughtful discussions that shape the direction of the CLN, resulting in practices and programs that serve CALPs across the province.   

Board members are rewarded in so many ways. They include learning new roles, working with talented board members, the CLN staff, the Regional Support Staff, and meeting those from other CALPs, community managers, and those in government roles. In addition, I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the memorable meals, locations personally selected by Shaba, from the CLN team, whose talents include being  a connoisseur of fine food. It has been a rewarding six years. Please consider becoming a board member, and you will see what I mean!

Click here for the 2021 Board Member position description and here for the 2021 CLN Board of Directors Application Form. For more information call 1.877.485.4926 or email board@calp.ca

Lil Radley, CLN Board Director
Coordinator, Read On Adult Literacy and Learning Program - Lethbridge Public Library

Literacy & Learning Symposium 2021 (Virtual) Update!

As our Symposium planning continues, we are excited to announce what’s new in May!

We will be launching registration on May 17th. Watch for more information on the Portal on how to register. 

Our theme and logo for 2021:

We'd also like to introduce our *New “Energizer” Presenter.

Melanie Levenberg is an international speaker, author, TEDx presenter and Founder of PL3YInc, a Whistler-based company that provides movement and mental wellness programs to the education, recreation and corporate sectors. Melanie is an inspiring speaker - her energizing workshops help people foster more positivity and playfulness in their lives.

Get ready to experience a movement break like no other. Melanie Levenberg is here to energize your body and inspire you to infuse more playfulness and fun into your everyday life.

And remember - SAVE THE DATES

Literacy & Learning Symposium 2021 (Virtual)

September 28th - October 1st

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 number of responses we received in 2019 and 2020 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 4, 2021. 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.

Link to the survey: tinyurl.com/CALPPDSurvey2021.

If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact research@norquest.ca.

CLN Staffing Updates

We are pleased to announce a number of exciting changes for CLN in the coming months.

Over the last four years, Rebecca Still has served as a Regional Support Staff, supporting CALPs in West-Central Alberta. Rebecca will be moving into the newly created role of Literacy Specialist on July 1st, 2021.

In this role, Rebecca will leverage her considerable literacy expertise by leading CLN’s initiative to develop capacity for CALP-funded organizations to provide literacy instruction to English speaking adults. This position was created to expand on the work being done through the Strengthening Literacy Practices project inspired and created by CLN Training Manager, Corrie Rhyasen Erdman. If you or your staff have questions about literacy programming, instruction or to find out about upcoming literacy-focused PD opportunities please reach out to Rebecca at literacy@calp.ca after July 1st.

As Rebecca steps into new shoes, so will Tanis Harms. Tanis has served as the Regional Support Staff for the North Region since our formal network took shape back in the spring of 2015. Tanis and her family have recently relocated to Athabasca, located on the boundary between CLN’s North and West-Central regions. As we anticipate a gradual return to in-person support and training in the fall of 2021, Tanis has accepted the opportunity to shift her focus to serving West-Central CALPs starting on July 1st.

Rebecca and Tanis will ensure that there will be a smooth transition over the coming months. Thank you, Rebecca and Tanis, for embarking on these new journeys within the CLN team!

With these two recent staffing moves, an opening has been created in the North Region for a new team member. Please see the announcement below for details.

Join Team CLN: Regional Support Staff – North Region Position

The Community Learning Network is seeking a highly self-motivated individual from the North Region to act as a Regional Support Staff for the Community Adult Learning Program in Northern Alberta. This is a full-time term employment position, funded from August 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, with the possibility of moving to a permanent position.

The Regional Support Network is supported by funding from Advanced Education in order to provide the best supports, resources and connections to Community Adult Learning Programs to empower them to meet the program’s mandate for the benefit of adult learners in Alberta.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Community Learning Network, Regional Support Staff members work closely and collaboratively to build capacity among CALP-funded programs, their staff and boards in rural and urban communities within a designated geographic area of Alberta.

A detailed position description is attached.

Regular travel within the region and to Edmonton will be required. A valid Class 5 license and reliable transportation are mandatory for this position. (Expenses for travel, communication and supplies will be reimbursed, based on the provisions to be included in a formal offer of employment.) This position will be managed remotely through the Community Learning Network office in Edmonton, so candidates must also have the ability to work from home or have access to a suitable work environment with high-speed internet in their home community to host and participate in online training and meetings.

Applications will be accepted by email at ed@calp.ca until 4:00 pm, Friday, May 27th, 2021, or until a suitable candidate is found.

Annual Report Preparations

In anticipation of the upcoming CALP Annual Report, we are pleased to offer the following training events:

Ask AE Anything About the CALP Annual Report

Join Community Adult Learning Program Grant Managers, Amanda Giang and Kristina Tsoukalas as they review the Annual Report.

They will walk through the report form, provide clarification when needed and highlight changes and additions. There will be time dedicated to questions and answers.

Please note: This session is offered twice to accommodate a variety of schedules. There is no need to register in more than one session.

Tuesday, May 25 - 10:00-11:30 am

Thursday, June 3 - 1:30-3:00 pm

CALP Database Bits and Bytes

There are several ways you can navigate through the Database, to find the features and data you need.

Join staff from the Community Learning Network to explore topics most relevant to your annual report: Entering Learning Opportunities, Entering and Registering Learners and, of course, Evaluation and Final Reports. Each 75-minute session will focus on one aspect of the CALP Database and feature a walk through, time to practice and ask questions.

CALP Database Bits and Bytes: Entering Learning Opportunities Tuesday, May 18 – 2:00-3:15 pm

CALP Database Bits and Bytes: Entering and Registering Learners Tuesday, May 25 – 2:00-3:15 pm

CALP Database Bits and Bytes: Evaluation and Final Reports Tuesday, June 1 – 2:00-3:15 pm

Other CALP Portal Resources

There are a number of resources available on the CALP Portal to help support you with your annual reporting:

CALP 2020/21 Annual Report Form

CALP Data Collection Guide

Outcomes-based Measurement and Evaluation for the Community Adult Learning Program

Call for Nominations: 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 or an individual who has been exceptional throughout the 2020-21 year, please submit a nomination.

Read the guidelines and nomination package for more information or to fill out a form.

You can send your nomination to board@calp.ca.

The deadline to submit a nomination package is June 30, 2021.

Last year the CLN Board of Directors presented two "Outstanding Contribution to Community Adult Learning" Awards.

Taber & District Community Adult Learning Association was recognized for continually pursuing new and creative ways to meet the adult learning needs of community members, through a friendly and client-centered approach to all members of the community. Jane Brenner, Executive Director accepted the award. 

Carmen Murphy, CALP Coordinator at Portage College in Bonnyville was recognized for building a CALP program that is a grass-roots method to respond to the needs of foundational learners in the area. She runs the program as both the coordinator and the instructor. 

2021 Council of the Federation Literacy Award

Just a reminder Alberta is now seeking nominations for the 2021 Council of the Federation Literacy Award!

This year Alberta will continue to honour the hard work and commitment of a community organization that is helping adults to acquire and build on the foundational learning skills they need to achieve their goals.

Help us celebrate and recognize the work and leadership of an organization by completing and submitting a nomination package.

We are lucky in Alberta to have so many partners involved in adult literacy and foundational learning work. To get a sense of what it would mean for your organization to be recognized by the Council of the Federation, check out this forum post.

On September 8th of each year, in celebration of International Literacy Day, all provincial and territorial award recipients are announced in a national press release.

Nominations close on May 28, 2021.

If there are any questions, please email Amanda Giang, Alberta Advanced Education at amanda.giang@gov.ab.ca.

2021-22 CLN Membership Renewal Coming Soon!

It's that time again! 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 18th, 2021.

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.

Upcoming CLN Trainings and Connections Cafés

Register for the following CLN Trainings that have upcoming registration deadlines!! Click on the name of the training to get to the registration page directly. If the training is full please add yourself to the wait list. Please note if a training is not posted below, then the deadline has already passed. 

Regional Connection Cafés

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

North Connections Café - May 10 at 10:00 am

South Connections Café - May 10 at 10:00 am

East Connections Café - May 10 at 1:00 pm

Central Connections Café - May 10 at 1:00 pm

West Connections Café - May 10 at 1:00 pm

Connections Café Metis & Indigenous World View - May 13 at 10:00 am

Trainings

Ongoing Assessment with Learners - May 17 - 10:00am-12:00pm
Join Terri Peters to explore what you say and do during lessons that help you evaluate what to plan for the next lesson and what to report in Evaluation Measures. We can make those strategies more explicit.

Staff Picks – Rising to the Reading Challenges of Adult Learners: Practitioner’s Toolkit - May 19 - 10:00-11:30 am
Join Val Rathjen to explore the Rising to the Reading Challenges of Adult Learners: Practitioner’s Toolkit, developed by CanLearn Society.

New CALP Staff Webinar - May 20 - 10:00-11:30 am
If you are new in your role in CALP, and still looking to get the lay of the land, please join CLN Regional Support Staff to connect with your colleagues from across the province.

Dwell in Possibilities...Show Me How to Find the Money - May 31 & June 7 - 10:00–11:30 am
Join Jane Brenner, a long-time CALP practitioner, in this 2-part series to learn how to access diversified funding to support the specific learning needs of your community. Find out how to identify needs in your community and how to find the money to meet those needs. 

This Month's Spotlight

This month's spotlight is the Facilitating Adult Literacy Learning project.

As part of this ongoing training series, Terri Peters has customized content for CALP staff including:

• Creating Instructional Materials Using Plain Language
• Instructional Strategies for Adult Literacy Programs: Reading
• Instructional Strategies for Adult Literacy Programs: Writing
• Literacy Lesson Planning
• Ongoing Assessment with Learners

This content is available in a variety of ways. CALP staff can choose to attend the live online workshop, view a recording of the workshop, access one on one or small group mentorship with Terri and/or attend an Ask Terri Anything session.

But did you know that Terri also offers a 1-hour live online condensed version of the above workshops via Zoom? Here’s what the team at Medicine Hat College had to say about their time with Terri:

Our experience with Terri has been incredibly valuable. She brings wisdom, knowledge and experience to our adult literacy world. Myself and the ABLE tutor team have had a few “light bulb” moments in Terri’s mentorship workshops, where Terri has put it all together for us in a straightforward and clear way. It’s safe to say that Terri’s advice and knowledge has made a significant impact on our programming. – Rochelle Galeski, MHC ABLE

From now until mid June, you and/or your CALP team can access your own personalized condensed workshop. Just contact Terri to set up a date and time mentor@calp.ca.