Welcome back!

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! I love the cool fall air, leaves turning brilliant colours and reconnecting with everyone, near and far.

Our team is excited to hit the road to meet with new staff and to catch up with those jumping back in the saddle, so to speak. This fall, like many others, will be filled with opportunities to learn, network, collaborate and celebrate.

Read on to learn more about what we're up to and how you can join us!

Lisa Dickner
Executive Director

CLN Annual General Meeting

Notice to Members

Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, September 27th, 2017

4:15 pm - 5:15 pm

Robson/Logan Ballroom, DoubleTree by Hilton

16615 109 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T5P 4K8

Our AGM will once again be hosted in conjunction with the annual Literacy & Learning Symposium, which will take place from September 25th - 29th.

Our members and partners are invited to join us as we mark the 30th Anniversary of the Association!

Important Information About our AGM

• All organizations funded through the Government of Alberta's Community Adult Learning Program are eligible to be member organizations of the Community Learning Network. There are no dues or fees associated with CLN membership.

• For your CALP to be considered a Member in Good Standing, your organization must be a funded Community Adult Learning Program as of July 1st, 2017, and must have had a representative complete CLN's membership renewal survey. If you are not sure if the membership renewal has been completed, or you have any additional questions, please contact the CLN at 1-877-485-4926 or email office@calp.ca

• Each member organization in good standing is entitled to one vote on matters that are put before the membership. Under CLN's bylaws, voting privileges are granted to member organizations, not to individuals.

• If more than one person from your CALP will be in attendance, please delegate one person to act on behalf of the organization for the purposes of voting.

AGM Package

• Each CALP should receive the AGM package by direct email sent to the primary contact person we have listed in our membership records. If you have not received this email by the end of today, September 7th, please contact the CLN at office@calp.ca.

The following documents are also available on the CALP Portal for members to review prior to the Annual General Meeting:

• Meeting Agenda
• AGM Minutes (September 2016)
• Audited Financial Statements (2016-2017)
• Operational Budget (2017-2018)
• Nominees for the CLN 2017-2018 Board of Directors

To access these documents, please log in to your CALP Portal account HERE.

Staffing Changes at CLN

We are honoured to introduce you to the new additions to the Team CLN family! This summer, we welcomed Lori St. Cyr in the new position of Indigenous Liaison, and Rebecca Still joined the Regional Support Staff, moving into the RSS position for West-Central.

Lori St. Cyr, Indigenous Liaison

I am a Metis from Peavine Metis Settlement, Alberta. I have a strong background in working with Metis and Indigenous peoples and communities throughout Alberta. I had the privilege to work on a Traditional Land Use and Oral History Project across Alberta for many years. My passion is to see my “people” be successful in all aspects of life – whether it be community belonging, literacy, numeracy, parenting, traditional learnings and teachings, or just life in general. I have a strong belief in having lived a well-lived life however that may look for you. I take pleasure and joy in seeing others become successful and I am your number 1 fan!

I have 2 years’ experience as the Peavine Metis Settlement’s CALP adult literacy coordinator/facilitator and have learned many new and exciting things. I am physically based in the North region but I am so excited to learn about all the amazing work that is being done provincially. I am excited to be a part of the CLN team and look forward to spending time at the many CALP sites across Alberta. I am very versatile and easy going. I love to laugh and share. To me learning is something that is an adventure that has yet to be taken.

You can reach Lori at connect@calp.ca or call 780-536-0424.

Rebecca Still, West-Central Regional Support Staff

I have a passion for adult literacy & learning, having spent over 20 years working in the field. I have been a tutor, adult & family literacy coordinator, facilitator, researcher, provincial board member and curriculum developer.

I was part of the “Connecting Literacy to Community” project through Bow Valley College, helping community groups become ‘Literacy Friendly’ by increasing awareness about ways to improve their programs and services to be more accessible to all adults, whatever their literacy or foundational skill levels. While working on the Creating Learning Partners training manual, I developed a deep understanding of adult learning principles and how we can support adults on their learning journey.

I am excited to support the West-Central region on this journey to provide great learning opportunities for adults in your communities.

You can reach Rebecca at west@calp.ca or call 780-554-6376.

We are also pleased to announce that Corrie Rhyasen Erdman has moved into a new role within the organization. Corrie is now part of the provincial staff, taking on the Training Manager position.

Corrie's new email address is training@calp.ca and you can reach her by phone at 780-968-2868.

New Supports for Urban CALPs

Recognizing that large urban centres have different needs than many of the CALPs across Alberta, and in support of changes to the funding models in Calgary and Edmonton, two new positions have been added to the CALP Professional Development and Support System.

Calgary and Edmonton now each have a dedicated PD Specialist who provides professional development, training and supports to organizations that receive CALP funding through Calgary Learns and Edmonton Community Adult Learning Association (ECALA). The PD Specialists work closely with other provincial supports to ensure organizations in Calgary and Edmonton receive support tailored to their specific needs, while staying engaged and connected to the provincial CALP system and support network.

• Terri Peters has joined the team at Calgary Learns to take on this new role. You can reach Terri at tpeters@calgarylearns.com
  
• Silvia Bégin is now working with Edmonton Community Adult Learning Association in this role. Silvia's email is pd@ecala.org

CLN is pleased to be working closely with both organizations to ensure the smooth transition of supports for CALPs in Calgary and Edmonton.

CALP Logic Model and Evaluation Framework Consultation

In 2015, CLN led a project to consult with CALPs across the province to inform the development of a Logic Model and an Outcomes-based Measurement and Evaluation Framework for the Community Adult Learning Program. We also spearheaded the development of a Logic Model and OME Framework for the Professional Development System in place to support CALPs.

This fall, we are working with Advanced Education and the original evaluator who worked on these projects, Ed Marchak, to take a step back and see how these models are working for the system.

We will be reaching out to CALP staff to ask for your feedback and input on this review process. We will be holding a number of face to face consultations, as well as sending out an online survey and hosting an interactive webinar to allow for as many voices to join the conversation as possible.

Our goals for this project are to:

• identify key learnings, and understand challenges with collecting measures
• better understand what data and results are of most interest, relevance and value
• consider revisions to the indicators and measures

Watch the CALP Portal for invitations to participate in this project, coming in the next few weeks!

Count Down to Symposium 2017

It won't be long until we are all together again at the Literacy and Learning Symposium in Edmonton!

The registration deadline is fast-approaching, and sessions are already selling out!

If you have not yet registered, be sure to go to https://www.calp.ca/symposium/registration/registration.html ASAP.

The Deadline for Registration is Friday, September 15th.

What you can look forward to this year:

• In-depth one and two day trainings
• Extended half day break out sessions
• A whole day dedicated to learning and connecting through communities of practice
• The CLN's Annual General Meeting
• CLN's 30th Anniversary Social

We also hope you will join us for the Literacy and Learning Awards Banquet, hosted by CBC Edmonton's own Garrette McGowan. The annual awards ceremony never fails to inspire and move us, as we celebrate the successes of our friends and colleagues from across the province.

"Pearls of Wisdom" from the Field

This month, we continue to celebrate our 30th Anniversary by highlighting the "Pearls of Wisdom" from the field. We love to hear and share what you have learned through your work, from your colleagues, or from your learners. This month, we are feature Monica Sczyrba-Davis from Pincher Creek.

Here is my Pearl of Wisdom, shared in appreciation for all of the kindness, knowledge and connection that has been provided to me over my years with CALP.

We need exactly what our Learner's need: for CALP's, mentorship is like water and sunshine for a tree that may be isolated, root-bound and ready to grow new branches. A mentored tree can grow further and stronger and share its strength with its surrounding forest and community.

Monica Sczyrba-Davis
Executive Director
Pincher Creek Community Adult Learning Program

Changes to Alberta's Employment Standards

Alberta's Employment Standards Code and Regulations are changing, effective January 1st, 2018.

Is your CALP ready? As of January, all employers in Alberta will be required to meet the new standards.

Alberta Labour has published an online overview of all the changes that are coming. You can access it at https://www.alberta.ca/employment-standards-changes.aspx

This fall, CLN plans to host a webinar for CALP staff who manage or oversee Human Resources matters. Our aim is to give you the opportunity to ask an expert about the changes, and how it may impact your organization.

Stay tuned for further details later this fall!

Congratulations to CIWA on Food Service Industry Program Award

ABC Life Literacy recently announced the winner of the Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award. We were pleased to see an honourable mention for the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association's Food Service Industry Program.

About their program:

"The Food Service Industry Program was developed to meet the needs of immigrant women with low literacy skills, limited educational backgrounds and little to no work experience in their home countries. Participants in the program earn three certifications during their training that prepare them for a career in the food services industry and even provide participants with a competitive advantage in the hiring and advancement process. During its first three years, the program served 151 learners with another 15 enrolled in the most recent period and an average of 60 learners every year. The program was developed in partnership with five industry partners and 32 different employers have hired graduates in the past year alone. The 90-day program culminates with one-on-one coaching and job search support for alumnae."

Retrieved from http://abclifeliteracy.ca/pacific-training-centre-blind-victoria-bc-awarded-20000-top-winner-great-west-life-london-life-and

You can learn more about all the programs and services CIWA provides to their community at https://www.ciwa-online.com/

Congratulations on this wonderful recognition of the great work you are doing!

Quote of the Day

By all these lovely tokens September days are here,

With summer's best of weather

And autumn's best of cheer.

Helen Hunt Jackson