CALP Connections: Summer 2020

2020 It’s been quite the “ride”!

This time of year, I schedule the opportunity for reflection. Well, I certainly have no shortage of situations and events to reflect on!

But first, some thanks. Thank you to our membership and staff for your outstanding commitment to the CALP system during this unprecedented time. Thank you for your tireless and collective efforts to mobilize so quickly. From ensuring the well-being of our learners and each other to offering and attending trainings on how to leverage technology, to creating new learning activities and programs, and to planning for almost every possible contingency. The passion and commitment that you have for the CALP system is not only tremendous, but on display in a way like never before. Thank you, just doesn’t seem like enough. My appreciation for you is much greater than these words.

Final Reports

As the second year of your three-year CALP agreement wraps up, please reach out to your Community Learning Network Regional Support Staff and your Grant Manager if you have questions on grant reporting. Deadline for submitting is no later than August 31st. The new CALP Guidelines 2020 are now available on the CALP Portal under the CALP Grant tab, as well as a series of FAQs about the CALP Guidelines 2020. The 2020 CALP Guidelines will be in effect for your third year of your agreements, starting July 1, 2020.

Welcome Summer

Many CALP programs are preparing for a summer break, so I wanted to send you off with best wishes for an amazing summer! Be safe, be well and take good care of yourselves. Have a fabulous summer.

Cheers!                                                

Doray Veno
CLN Board Chair

CALP Guidelines and FAQs now Posted

The team at Advanced Education and CLN are happy to announce that the updated 2020 CALP Guidelines and the updated FAQs are now posted on the Portal.

To see the updated CALP Guidelines when in the Portal be sure to be logged in and go to the "CALP Grant" tab on the Portal and click on Updated Community Adult Learning Program Guidelines. 

To go to the FAQs click on the direct link to the FAQs (be sure to be logged in) https://calp.ca/_uploads/5ec428d6813bc.pdf or you can find it from the navigation menu on the "CALP Grant" tab on the Portal. 

The FAQs provide answers to some of the most common questions CALP grant recipients have about the Guidelines. A number of NEW questions and answers have been added to the FAQs, to address the changes in July 2020 CALP Guidelines.

If you have questions that are not covered, please submit a question or be sure to reach out to your Regional Support Staff, Professional Development Specialist or your Grant Manager at Advanced Education.

Literacy and Learning Symposium 2020 Update

Awaiting Future Direction

As the situation around COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to evolve and we are in the stages of re-launch in Alberta, the Community Learning Network (CLN) has been closely monitoring the situation and reviewing our plans for all of our face-to-face training, events and meetings, including the fall Literacy & Learning Symposium.

We are keeping a close eye on all public health orders, available online at https://www.alberta.ca/covid-19-orders-and-legislation.aspx, with regards to group gatherings, and reviewing direction from the Minster of Advanced Education about how funded programs can plan a safe re-launch of face-to-face activities.

Therefore, we want to update you to let you know that CLN is still waiting for any new direction from the Government before making decisions for our September event. 

Face-to-Face or Virtual Event?

We are hoping to know more soon and to share that with CALPs as quickly as possible. In the meantime, please know that we will be offering a Provincial-level PD event, either in person at our scheduled time (September 29th – October 2nd), or virtually (TBA) for CALP staff and board members.

Registration

Please note that online registration is still open and some CALP organizations are continuing to register to get the sessions they are interested in taking in the event that we can meet face-to-face in September. In addition, CLN will refund registrants if the Symposium, as currently planned, cannot go ahead. Lastly, please consider your current situation and what you feel will work best at this time for your CALP organization in planning to attend the Symposium.

We will continue to keep you posted!

CLN will continue to share more as we learn more. We absolutely recognize that communication is key and we will do our best to keep you informed about any changes, big or small, moving forward!

Questions?

Please contact Pat Halewich, Events Specialist, by email at events@calp.ca or by phone at 780-628-7127.

Strengthening Literacy Practices Project Update

Would you like to be part of a project that will help you develop your own knowledge and skills for delivering adult literacy programming?

Well you are in luck! For a second year, CLN is inviting CALP staff, facilitators and instructors who work directly with adult literacy learners to be part of a collaborative learning project focused on building practitioner skills in delivering adult literacy programming. This project is supported by CLN’s PD Development Grant funding from Alberta Advanced Education. The overall objective of the project is to build capacity within CALP-funded organizations to provide relevant and practical literacy instruction to English-speaking adult learners. This 8-month blended learning program, starting in November 2020, will include both live (online and/or in person) and independent learning activities.  

As a participant in this project, you will:

• explore existing adult literacy research and resources
• reflect on and share what you learn with your peers in the cohort
• apply your learning to the ways you work with adult literacy learners
• provide feedback to the project

As a participant in this learning program, you can expect:

• to expand your professional knowledge and practice to work with literacy learners
• a collaborative and supportive learning environment
• compensation for your commitment to the learning and to informing the project
• your expenses to attend face-to-face training will be covered

Watch the CALP Portal in September 2020 for further details on the project. For information on Strengthening Literacy Practices Project contact Corrie Rhyasen Erdman at (780) 968-2868 or training@calp.ca.

CALP PD Survey - Deadline June 5th

If you have accessed CALP-funded professional development services or supports from the Community Learning Network, Calgary Learns, ECALA and/or Rural Routes, please take this survey. 

It 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.

You will be entered to win a $75 Chapters gift card for your organization by taking the CALP PD joint survey! One gift card will be awarded in each of the regions (North, East-Central, Central, West-Central, South, Calgary, and Edmonton).

This survey will stay open until June 5th, 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.

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

CLN Membership Renewal 2020-21

Hard to believe we are nearing the beginning of summer! Most of you are winding down programming and looking forward to your summer holidays. But before you head out please make sure to fill out the CLN Membership Renewal form for 2020-21. 

CLN Membership Renewal

• If your organization receives a CALP grant from 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.

To keep your membership in good standing, all we ask is that you confirm a few details about your CALP and provide information about the key contact people and your CALP's 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.

We will also use this information to ensure your CALP's listing in our online directory is accurate, so learners anywhere in the province can easily find a CALP close to home.

The Membership Renewal was sent out by direct email to the Senior Staff person for each CALP.

The deadline to complete your membership renewal is June 15th, 2020. Once we have received your renewal, we will email your certificate of Membership in Good Standing for 2020-2021.

Thank you to those who have already received their renewal notice and completed it.

If you did not receive your Membership Renewal email or have any questions please contact Shaba at office@calp.ca.

Portal Updates and Reminders

It has been wonderful to see so many of you using the Portal to start and engage in discussions, share ideas and just have access to the information during this crazy time we are living in. We are constantly updating resources, events and information and just wanted to point out a new tab and remind you of an older feature on the Portal that you may have missed. 

Some of you may have already noticed the new tab on the Portal - PD System.

It covers in-depth information on the CALP PD system, Professional Development Advisory Committee (PDAC), CALP-Funded Training and Resource Development and PD System Measurement and Evaluation. Be sure to check it out! 

Also, just a reminder that when you have new new staff, volunteers or board members needing Portal accounts please have them go to https://calp.ca/request and fill out a User Profile Request form with all the information we need to get their Portal account active. If you have any questions please email Shaba Qureshi at office@calp.ca.

If you have any questions about the Portal please contact Shaba Qureshi at office@calp.ca.

CLN Board of Directors: Call for Applications

Just a reminder the CLN Board is currently recruiting Community Adult Learning Program Staff and/or Board Members to join our team. 

We’re looking for individuals who will bring their passion and their skills to the CLN Board.

If you are interested in learning more, please see the CLN Board Recruitment package on the CALP Portal (member login required) or email board@calp.ca.

The CLN Membership will elect our Board for 2020-21 at our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, September 29th, 2020.

Reminder for Call for Nominations: 2020 Alberta Literacy and Learning Awards

Just another reminder for the call for nominations for the 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.

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 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.

June is Indigenous History Month

In June, we celebrate National Indigenous History Month to honour the history, heritage and diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada. 

To honour this month CLN is holding a Ask Us Anything about an Indigenous and Metis World View session on June 24th. Join Lori St. Cyr, CLN Indigenous Liaison, to draw on the wisdom and experience in the 'virtual' room this Ask Us Anything session will focus on an Indigenous and Metis World View. Register here. 

For more information on National Indigenous History Month visit the Government of Canada website https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1466616436543/1534874922512 where you can:

• Learn about inspiring Indigenous peoples who have helped shape Canadian history. 
• Learn about the history of Indigenous people in Canada (and pre-Canada).
• Learn about treaties, residential schools, reconciliation and more.

During this National Indigenous History Month what can you learn about local Indigenous history? Reach out to Indigenous organizations and communities in your area or check out their websites to learn more about local Metis, Inuit and First Nations influencers and history in your region.

Also on June 21, celebrate the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis! More information can be found here https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100013248/1534872397533.