Four PD projects are currently underway, funded through the Government of Alberta's CALP Professional Development Grant. The projects are scheduled to be completed in 2020 and 2021, with consultation, development and piloting in the CALP system.

Strengthening Literacy Practices (Community Learning Network)

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. The project is based on research in practice and reflective learning of CALP practitioners who will:

• Study by reading selected articles, academic research and other learning materials over the course of the term
• Learn through personal reflection, group discussions, and contributing to the online forum
• Practice what is learned by finding ways to “field test” new skills, knowledge and strategies in literacy programs and with literacy learners

CALP system practitioners participate in the project in two cohorts, as learners and co-collaborators, to help us learn what knowledge, perspectives, skills and strategies have the greatest impact on how we work with adult literacy learners. The learning and feedback from participants in the initial cohort will inform the design of a training strategy that will be used to guide development of training materials and approaches for delivering literacy training for the CALP system. The learning cohort will be 10 months long, and will include face-to-face training, online meetings and workshops, independent study and reading, and working directly with adult learners to implement and evaluate impact of the training initiative.

Gathering to Learn: A Field Guide to Attracting and Retaining Adult Foundational Learners (Carya, Calgary)

Carya will develop a field guide that shares evidence-based practices on how to engage adult foundational learners through relevant, adaptable learning experiences, with a focus on learners with multiple barriers. The guide will be developed through engagement with the CALP community, and through research of tested and proven strategies. When the Field Guide is completed, there will also be face-to-face training opportunities, and train-the-trainer opportunities to ensure the guide remains accessible, useful and relevant to CALP practitioners.

Holding Safer Spaces for Adult Learners (Stettler & District Community Adult Learning Council)

Holding Space, as defined by Heather Plett, is "the willingness to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they're on without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome." The learning opportunity will consist of a guided 11-week online peer-group learning module.

Essential Skill Units for In-Home Family Literacy Programs (Literacy for Life Foundation)

This project will focus on developing a resource curriculum of units that outline explicit activities to build adult’s essential skills (reading, writing, numeracy, document use, oral communication, technology use, critical thinking, working together and life long learning) through a family literacy approach, within the home environment. While this project is geared specifically to the home environment, we anticipate that many of the strategies and activities will be easily adapted to use with adult foundational learners in other contexts.