Community Learning Network's 2023 - 2024 Board of Directors

Thank you to everyone who joined us for CLN's 36th Annual General Meeting virtually on September 28th.

We are pleased to share with you the CLN Board of Directors for the 2023 - 2024 year:

                        
 Colleen Thiessen, Chair               Jana Thomson, Vice Chair

                                      
   Stephanie Brown, Treasurer       Chelsey Friedt, Secretary

                               
   Tanya Mercredi, Director           Monica Sczyrba-Davis, Director

       
   Natasha Bozek, Director

We also had the pleasure of Advanced Education Deputy Minister, Sherri Wilson, joining us! Watch our conversation here.

To contact the CLN Board of Directors please email board@calp.ca.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Required Training
Introduction to Adult Foundational Learning – Online (5 weeks)

• January 25 - Mornings
• January 25 - Afternoons
• May 22 - Mornings

 CALP Essentials for Family Literacy Programs Online (3 weeks)

• November 2 - Mornings
• November 2 - Afternoons  
• February 27 - Mornings
• November 7 (Grande Prairie) *Note this training will be paired with ALL In Family Literacy Programs on Nov 8 - SAVE THE DATE!

Register now for these upcoming training events!
Check the training & events calendar for more training opportunities through May.

NEW! Connecting to Community series. In this 4-session series, we will explore a collection of voices, resources, perspectives, and strategies intended to strengthen your organization’s connections to community. It is through a well-connected network that learners can find their way to the services and supports they need, whether through direct programming at funded organizations or indirectly through coordinated knowledgeable referrals.
October 23 - Mapping Community
November 20 - Engaging Community
January 22 - Literacy Awareness
February 20 - Literacy Audits

October Events
October 17-18 - Psychological First Aid (Hinton)

November Events
November 2 - Engaging with Indigenous Learners (Red Crow Cultural College) – SAVE THE DATE!
November 7 – writeforward Writing Assessment (3 weeks) – SAVE THE DATE!
November 8 - A.L.L. In Family Literacy Programs (Grande Prairie) - SAVE THE DATE!
November 23 - Plain Language
November 27 – Moving in the Write Direction
November 30 - A.L.L. In Family Literacy Programs (Online - 2 weeks)
November 30 (Rocky Mountain House) Psychological First Aid - SAVE THE DATE

Communities of Practice
Join your peers in informal online discussions facilitated by CLN staff. Grab a coffee, bring a question, share a success or challenge, and settle in for five minutes or all sixty.
October 10 - Holding Safer Spaces Open Circle – Awe & Wonder
October 12 - Literacy Practitioners Share, Learn Grow
October 16 – East Regional Gathering (St. Paul)
November 15 - Ask Us Anything about Metis & Indigenous Worldview

Literacy & Learning Symposium 2024 Update

SAVE THE DATE

Community Learning Network (CLN) is very pleased to announce that we will be hosting the Literacy & Learning Symposium 2024 on:

Tuesday, April 30th to Thursday, May 2nd (In-person event) at the DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton in Edmonton

Please mark your training calendars!

CALL FOR PRESENTERS

The Symposium 2024 Call for Presenters is now open!

Are you or do you know an expert in our field who would like to contribute to the future of the CALP system?

The Literacy & Learning Symposium Planning Committee is now accepting proposals for sessions at the Literacy & Learning Symposium 2024 and we encourage presenters to submit presentation proposals.

Participation as a presenter will help attendees increase their knowledge and skills, provide for an exchange of ideas and solutions, and help attendees address the needs facing adult literacy and foundational learners in Alberta. In doing so, CLN, along with those selected presenters, will create a community of learning.

Symposium threads will include:

Literacy and Foundational Learning        

• Adult Literacy
• Basic Digital Skills
• English Language Learning
• Foundational Learners and Learning
• Numeracy
• Skills for Learning
• Skills for Success

CALP Programs and Activities

• CALP-funded Family Literacy Programs
• Community Capacity Building
• Financial Literacy
• Learner Support Services
• Learning Activities
• Newcomer Supports for English Language Learners
• Workplace Literacy

CALP Staff and Volunteer Development

• Board Development
• Coaching & Modeling Strategies
• Digital Technology, Tools and Resources
• Facilitation Skills
• Inclusion, Diversity and Safer Spaces
• Indigenous, Metis and/or Inuit Learning and Learners
• Instructional Strategies
• Learner-centred Assessment
• Learning Disabilities
• Mental Health & Learning
• Trauma-Informed Practices
• Tutor Training

Operations/Management

• Budgeting & Finances
• Community Partnerships and Engagement
• Human Resources
• Marketing and Social Media
• Needs Assessment and/or Evaluation
• Regional Stewardship and Post-Secondary Connections
• Strategic Planning
• Succession Planning
• Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

To be considered, sessions must be engaging learning formats and must have clear learning objectives. Session participants should walk away with knowledge of a tool, strategy or approach that will enhance their ability to support learners. Participants should also come away from these sessions with a clear understanding of the relevance of the session topic to their work, as well as information on how and where to access additional resources and supports.

Presenters will be asked to answer three questions to identify the session's learning objectives:

• What is the purpose of this session?
• What will the participants learn in this session?
• What will the participants take away from this session?

The answers provided will be included in the published program information to help our Symposium attendees choose the sessions that will meet their individual professional learning needs.

To submit a proposal, please complete the online form here: https://calp.ca/submissions/call-for-presenters-literacy-and-learning-symposium-2024 

Deadline for submissions is Friday, October 20, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.

Questions?

Please contact Pat Halewich, PD & Events Specialist, Community Learning Network

Email: pdevents@calp.ca 

Please help circulate the Symposium Call for Presenters within your networks!

Literacy in Action

There are movements across Canada to put literacy on the national agenda. Recently, BC Decoda Literacy Solutions worked with Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to support literacy.  

FCM passed a motion to add literacy to its “Inclusive Communities” advocacy work, and to call on the Government of Canada to add explicit references to literacy in its various policies, including Poverty Reduction, Health, Connecting Remote Communities, as well as others. The motion also included asking the Government of Canada to support literacy non-profits with core funding, including funding digital literacy programs at the introductory level in communities gaining broadband access, and by ensuring literacy initiatives and funding expand beyond employment programs. 

To move this work forward FCM will be reaching out to appropriate Ministers. You can read more about this announcement on Bridgid Hayes blog As I was Saying...

Decoda Solutions released the announcement to the press. Look for a quote from Lisa Dickner, our Executive Director at CLN! 

What can we do at the local level? 

Develop your key messages of the importance of your work with literacy and foundational adults and then share them with your MP. For more ideas on developing key messages see Advocating Literacy and National Literacy Supports. 

You can reach out to me if you want to explore ideas for key messaging in your community. 

Rebecca Still
CLN Literacy Specialist 
literacy@calp.ca

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Event Recap

Thank you to all who joined us to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 28, 2023. We were honoured to be joined by Elder Dave Matilpi and Elder Lucille Provost, who we thank for sharing their time and wisdom with us. We were also joined by Farley Cardinal, who accompanied drum-playing with educational and insightful drum teachings and singing. 

If you missed our land acknowledgment video composed of CALP staff across the province, you can watch it here.

2023 Outstanding Contribution Award Recipient

Congratulations to Barb Scully, Executive Director of TriCALA, for winning the 2023 Outstanding Contribution Award! This recognition is a testament to Barb's dedication and commitment to adult learning, and we are fortunate to have her as a source of inspiration in the CALP community.

2023 Council of the Federation Literacy Award Recipient

Congratulations to Brooks Community Adult Learning Council (BCALC) for receiving the 2023 Council of the Federation Literacy Award! They have demonstrated great dedication and skill to adult literacy in Alberta, and their nomination is an example of their advocacy for their community. BCALC instructors are equipped with diverse expertise and education to provide individualized support to a wide variety of learners. Well done, BCALC!

"BCALC has made a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of our employees and we have trusted them to provide the literacy skills required to the retention of our immigrant workforce." - JBS Canada

This Month's Spotlight

Skills for Success: Validation Study is a national applied research project funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Skills for Success program and led by Bow Valley College. In an effort to respond to the needs of today’s Canadian worker, the project aims to validate Skills for Success through the piloting of developed surveys, skills evaluations, and training. The project invites educational institutions, service training providers, and employers across Canada to pilot these resources to their clients, learners, and employees. Piloting is available through November 2024. To learn more about this opportunity, visit Project Partners | Bow Valley College or contact sfs@bowvalleycollege.ca. 

Read more here!