LNS is pleased to announce the the 2009 Scholarship and Bursary award recipients:

Scholarship Award $1500

• Daniel Rector, NSCC Truro
• Michael Shaw, NSCC Truro

Bursary Award $500

• William Michael Dalton, Kings Co. Adult High School
• Sandra Palmer, NSCC Cumberland
• Karen Augustine, NSCC Waterfront

Thank you to all of the learners who applied. We encourage you to apply in the spring of 2010.

Literacy Nova Scotia is pleased to announce that ABC CANADA will be providing Family Literacy Day (FLD) promotional materials for 2010. These materials are intended for not-for-profit literacy groups. If you are a not-for-profit literacy group and would like to receive FLD materials, please email Heather Lauther at heather.lauther@nscc.ca to receive a copy of the order form. Orders must be received by Friday, December 11th by 4:30 pm.

*Please note: If you are a family, school, library or Early Years Centre, and you would like to receive FLD materials, please contact ABC CANADA to place your order: info@abc-canada.org

The PD Fund was initiated in March 2008 to meet the needs of community-based organizations within the Nova Scotia School of Adult Learning. Individuals can receive up to $800 each to subsidize professional development opportunities outside the scope of offerings of Literacy Nova Scotia or the Department of Labour and Workforce Development. As well, organizations can receive funding for group activities for their staff which do not affect individual limits.

Learning narratives from past professional development opportunities are posted to our website. To read more about these events click here: http://www.ns.literacy.ca/pdln.htm

Applications are reviewed by a committee comprised of representatives of Literacy Nova Scotia and the Department of Labour and Workforce Development. There were some applications which did not meet all the criteria or were for events which are not funded under this PD Fund. Be sure to check the eligibility guidelines. To apply for funding or for more information, click here or contact Jayne Hunter at 1-800-255-5203.

(from Andrea Hilchie-Pye, Halifax Community Health Board)

Good Evening Everyone:

I hope this email finds you well. I am on the Halifax Community Health Board. This is one of 7 community health boards within HRM. This is the first time a comprehensive survey has been completed on health status, behaviours and other factors on residents within HRM .

In this survey we learned that the majority of us are generally satisfied with life. However:
- Over half of us are overweight or obese, yet some of us think our weight is "just about right".
- Many of us have at least one chronic health condition such as arthritis, asthma, and migraines.
- Most of us are stressed about work...and
- One third of us don't have a strong sense of belonging to our community

We have been asked to identify the top three priorities in HRM. These priorities will help guide business planning within Capital District Health Authority. We want to hear from as many people as possible and I encourage your input. Please take 5 minutes and have your say at http://www.ourhealthsurvey.ca/feedback.html .

If you live on the peninsula or in Farview I would welcome the opportunity to hold a 40 minute session with you and your neighours, groups or organizations. In this case I would review the findings (10 mins)and hold a small discussion with the outcome of identifying you and your groups top three priorities.

We need to hear from you by November 4.

Please feel free to contact me at via email or phone 431-3929 or Susan Dunn, the Community Health Board Co-ordinator at susan.dunn@cdha.nshealth.ca or by phone at 424-5147.

It is through our collective voices that we can secure a healthy community. Please pass this on to your friends, family and co-workers.

All the best,

Andrea

Activities relating to the initiative Adult Learning Network (ALN) / Réseau apprentissage chez les adultes (RAA) are underway. It is with great enthusiasm that they are launching a bilingual website aimed at presenting this initiative and keeping stakeholders informed of the ALN-RAA activities. Please note that events that have an impact on the network are posted in the "News" section and that committee reports and reports of interest can be found in the "Our Work" section. They invite you to visit the website at http://aln-raa.ca. Do not hesitate to contact Danielle Charron if you have comments or questions.

Danielle Charron, Director / Directrice
Adult Learning Network / Réseau apprentissage chez les adultes
Faculty of Education / Faculté d'éducation
University of New Brunswick / Université du Nouveau-Brunswick
148, pavillon Marshall d'Avray Hall
Fredericton, NB
E3B 5A3

E-mail / courriel: dcharron@unb.ca
Tel. / tél.: (506) 451-6913
Fax / télécopie: (506) 451-6922

Rachel Wernick, Director General of the Office for Literacy and Essential Skills would like to take this opportunity to inform you of a project that is being undertaken by the Office for Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

OLES is interested in creating a profile of providers of training for adults in any of the following areas: reading, writing, how to use information contained in tables, forms, graphs, and diagrams (document use) or basic math skills. The resulting national and provincial/territorial profiles will be of interest and benefit to all levels of government, providers and clients of these types of programs in Canada. A more thorough understanding of this sector, its size, operational procedures and capacity, would also enable HRSDC to provide support and target funding to the sector more effectively and efficiently.

Given the complexity of the sector, which includes government, not-for-profit, college, community and other types of providers and a wide variety of programmes, it is not clear if a survey of the entire sector is a viable undertaking, or if a sector survey were to be undertaken, what information could reasonably be collected from providers.

OLES has contracted the Canadian Council on Learning to conduct a feasibility study that will assess the viability of conducting such a survey and identify the types of information that could be collected should a survey take place.. Some of your membership may be contacted by the Canadian Council on Learning throughout this study.

Thank you in advance for your support of this important endeavour. If you have any questions please contact Rachel Wernick or Lisa Shipley at 819-956-9659.

Update from CCL:
As you know, CCL is in the process of collecting information for HRSDC's feasibility study on adult literacy. Through some of my conversations with various folks in the literacy community, it has become clear that there is a bit of misunderstanding about the purpose and scope of this study so I would like to clarify both the intent and the process for what we are doing.

• The feasibility study is not a sector study. Think of this part of the process as an environmental scan - a high level data collection exercise to determine how easy and/or difficult it is to access basic information about the number and types of literacy programs available across the country.
• As we collect this information we are exploring different ways of categorizing this information (e.g. by province? By location? By organization type?...)
• Once we have collected the information and determined how to categorize it, CCL will be conducting some key informant interviews to try to determine what information is readily available beyond the basic information (program name, location, contact number) collected during the first part of the scan.
• All of this information will be used by HRSDC to determine if a sector study is feasible and if so, determine what resources are needed, what would be included/excluded, what form of delivery would the survey take (e-mail, phone, mail?), etc...

At his point in time we have almost completed the preliminary scan of relevant web sites (literacy, government and organizations) as well as the yellow pages. We still have some data gaps for some provinces and so I'll be contacting some of you to see if you can provide us with some suggestions of where to dig up additional information. Also, any of you who would like to be more involved in the process are welcome to do so - for example, I could circulate the list of program information by province for your review/validation/suggestions. If you are interested, please just let me know by responding to this e-mail.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like further clarification. Thanks,

Nadine Valk
Senior Research Analyst
Canadian Council on Learning
1410 - 50 O'Connor,
Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2
613-786-3230 x239

ABC CANADA's fifth edition of 'Training Matters', a publication that addresses the economic impact of literacy in the workplace, is now available on newsstands in Canadian Business magazine. You can also check out the issue on our website at http://www.abc-canada.org/trainingmatters.

This year's cover story features an interview with Craig Alexander, VP and Deputy Chief Economist for TD Bank Financial Group, who weighs in on the importance of investing in workplace training and the connection to our country's economic future. Other articles address the urgency of training and development - and the pressing need for essential skills of the new knowledge-based economy.

The 2009 Canada Post Community Literacy Awards are now closed but you can still help this worthwhile cause! Don't go it alone! Involve others!

Show your involvement and raise awareness by sharing this email on your favourite social network using this link: http://www.canadapost.ca/literacyawards/email

Or simply forward this link to your friends, coworkers and teachers.

Ask them to sign up to receive Literacy Awards news by email so they can get an advanced notification of next year's program. Want to recommend changes to the program next year? Send us your feedback! Thank you for your interest in 2009 Canada Post Community Literacy Awards!

The Learning Disabilities Association of Nova Scotia (LDANS) is currently recruiting participants for an exciting pilot online workshop project, specifically targeted at rural Nova Scotia.

Through funding from the IWK Community Grant program, LDANS has been able to develop an online workshop entitled Making Connections ~ Empowering Families. Below are the workshop details, please feel free to circulate to any of your members/stakeholders who may be interested in taking part!

MAKING CONNECTIONS ~ EMPOWERING FAMILIES
A pilot online workshop of the Learning Disabilities Association of Nova Scotia, funded by the IWK Community Grant program.
WHO: Families with a child(ren) with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD.
WHAT: An online workshop that takes place over 8 weeks, giving parents information and building on skills and relationships to help them provide support to themselves and their families.
WHERE: Participants must live outside the Halifax Regional Municipality and have access to a computer with internet connection.
WHEN: Tentative dates are January 28 - March 11. Workshop will be held once a week in an online learning classroom. Materials and instructions will be provided.
WHY: To help families in more rural communities access services to support their families in living with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD.

SPACE IS LIMITED and will be booked first come, first served. Please contact Matt Currie (matt@ldans.ca) or Rachel Perrier (rachel@ldans.ca) or by phone at (902) 423-2850 for more details or to register!

Atlantic Canadians will benefit from improved literacy strategies thanks to the development of an Atlantic Canadian Literacy Action Plan launched in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador on September 25.

The Atlantic ministers of education and training demonstrated their commitment to improving literacy in Atlantic Canada by supporting the objectives in the plan that work to address and promote literacy at all levels, from early childhood to adult education.

To download a copy of Literacy: Key to Learning and Path to Prosperity - An Action Plan for Atlantic Canada 2009-2014, click here:
http://www.camet-camef.ca/images/eng/docs/Literacy-Key%20to%20Learning.pdf

Community Literacy of Ontario is working on a project to find the resources most highly recommended by literacy and adult basic education practitioners, for transitioning adult learners with independence and employment goals. They are building an annotated bibliography of the best resources and those most adaptable to Essential Skills development.

They are asking your assistance in responding to a survey, to help them identify which are the "best" resources for inclusion in the final product. They are particularly looking for the resources (books, web-sites, software, etc.) that you use for learners transitioning to independence or employment. So, gather a list of your favourites for teaching Communications, Numeracy, Finding Information, Working with Others, Self-Direction, or all of the above, and take 10 minutes to complete our survey. To access the survey click on the link below.

Your opinions are very valuable to them and will make the final product a more useful reference when seeking instructional resources. In thanks for your time and trouble in filling out our survey, they will enter your name in a draw for one of three $50.00 gift certificates. Please feel free to forward the survey link to any of your colleages who may wish to participate.

Thank you in advance for your participation.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=wlD6_2bGp47152ZOpTZ_2bV8tA_3d_3d

Joyce Bigelow
Community Literacy Ontario Project Staff P.O. Box 413
Sharbot Lake, ON K0H 2P0
Phone: (613) 279-2499
Fax: (613) 279-2022
literacy@frontenac.net or jbigelow.ncalc@bellnet.ca

NALD Headline News: News flashes, media releases, announcements, call for papers and new information from the Canadian literacy community and elsewhere.
http://www.nald.ca/info/whatnew/headline/headline.htm

This year, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and founding sponsor Honda Canada are celebrating Family Literacy Day (January 27, 2010) by encouraging all Canadians to 'sing for literacy.' Based on our collective success with last year's Guinness World Record Attempt, we want to encourage at least 300,000 Canadians to participate in 2010.

Also new this year, we are encouraging FLD hosts and participants to get pledges to help raise money for literacy groups and programs. The pledging is made easy by using www.canadahelps.org/givingpages (You may want to view a helpful YouTube tutorial on how to set-up a Giving Page here http://www.youtube.com/mycharityconnects#p/u/11/VMR-25RocZY ...)

You'll find all the details in the media release, which we will distribute to the media later this week. Expect to see more about FLD in your local papers, magazines, billboards etc. as we roll out the marketing and communications campaign in the coming months.

Finally, we invite you to join a conference call on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, at 1 pm EST. Please see agenda for details.

On behalf of my colleagues, we thank you for your valuable input in last year's post-FLD poll. Your opinions help us to shape the program - and make it even better!

Best regards,

Nikki Luscombe
Manager, Communications
ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation
4211 Yonge Street, Ste. 235
Toronto, ON M2P 2A9
Tel: 416-218-0010 ext. 122
Fax: 416-218-0457
E-mail: nluscombe@abc-canada.org
Web: www.abc-canada.org

Write a story with your family and enter the Munsch at Home Contest at www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca to win a visit from renowned children's author Robert Munsch!

Hot Topics, a new initiative by LDANS will launched on Monday, Oct. 26 with the first topic, "Transitions". The issues discussed will be determined by current issues in the media, recent research, or suggested issues from parents and members.

The purpose of Hot Topics is to engage members and stakeholders and empower them with facts about different types of Learning Disabilities.

To register, simply visit www.ldans.ca, then click on "Community". There, you will find an option to register for an account. Once you register, you can begin having your say on the topics that are being discussed. The topic will be changed every two weeks. Please take a moment to stop by and check it out!

The 2009 Celebrating Communities Conference and Awards, Growing Together, has been a great success.

Upwards of 300 people gathered from all across Nova Scotia at the Truro Best Western Trade and Convention Centre to learn about what is happening in Nova Scotia and celebrate the achievements of many of its communities.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the event for your energy and commitment. We would also thank all those who helped to make it such a memorable occasion; guest speakers, Colchester Regional Development Agency, hotel staff, field trip locations, entertainers, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and colleagues at Nova Economic and Rural Development and other provincial departments to name a few. It is a long list and together everyone made up a fine team.

The awards ceremony was an evening filled with Nova Scotia pride. Ian Hanomansing led the audience through their first time viewing video reels of the Community Excellence Award Finalists. The stories are impressive and we are pleased to present them to you on our web site.

To view the reels, browse over the interactive map at the link below. Click on the red markers to view each of the clips. The tab will indicate if the nominee is a winner or finalist and the category of the award is noted in the video.
http://www.celebratingcommunities.ca/map.php

You can also view our fun moments and out-takes reel that was presented at the conference. It shows that being an Award Nominee and telling your story on camera can be hard work and yet lots of fun! http://www.celebratingcommunities.ca/winner.php

More updates and information will be posted later to our website. Please enjoy the videos.

Ross MacDonald
Policy Implementation Officer
Economic Strategies and Initiatives Division
Nova Scotia Department of Economic and Rural Development
1660 Hollis Street, Box 2311
Halifax, Nova Scotia
902.424.2362 t
902.424.1263 f

Manager for national research project December 2009 - August 2012

The Centre for Literacy of Quebec, with funding from the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, HRSDC, is seeking a Project Manager for a multi-year contract. The successful applicant will manage the Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills Initiatives: Measuring and Legitimating Success to Expand Access project.

About the Project
This project is being managed through a partnership of The Centre for Literacy of Quebec, Industry Training Partnerships - Manitoba Competitiveness, Training and Trade, Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Workforce Development, and the Canadian Council on Learning. It will develop a new evaluation model building on existing models to measure the longer-term impacts of workplace literacy and essential skills initiatives in Manitoba and Nova Scotia, provinces with strong sustained workplace essential skills programs. For more information on the project, consult our website: http://www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca/workplace.htm.

The Project Manager will:

• Create a detailed work plan in collaboration with the Steering Committee
• Manage project staff and resources
• Monitor quality of work from project team (who are the project staff, and who are the project team?)
• Document project information appropriately and securely
• Set up and manage a collaborative communication process (print and web-based)
• Ensure deliverables in the funding agreement are on time, within budget and at the required level of quality, evaluate outcomes, and work closely with external evaluators

Qualifications include:

• Experience (minimum of 5 years) in large project management
• Strong communication skills (written and spoken) in English and French
• Skill in writing for varied audiences - e.g. practitioners, academics, funders, general public
• Knowledge of, and/or experience in adult education and/or literacy, preferably with workplace focus
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Evidence of ability to meet deadlines

Employment conditions: The contract , with The Centre for Literacy, will begin December 1, 2009 and finish August 30, 2012.

Applicants need not reside in Quebec. Only candidates chosen for an interview will be contacted.
Send CV: info@centreforliteracy.qc.ca
DEADLINE: November 12, 2009

Enhancing Literacy Skills in the Early Years Workshop
Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 8:30am to 4pm
Crandall (Atlantic Baptist) University, 333 Gorge Rd., Moncton NB

Literacy Kits will be available for purchase.

Workshop brochure and registration form:
http://www.nald.ca/ldanb/english/events/early_years.pdf

Early registration (by October 23) is encouraged.

National Family Literacy Conference

"Cultivating Connections, Global Perspectives & Practices in Family Literacy"
July 15-17, 2010
Shaw Conference Centre
Edmonton, AB
Website: www.cultivatingconnectionsconference.ca
Conference postcard: http://www.famlit.ca/Conference_Postcard_09.pdf

Announcing the TD National Reading Summit Reading and Democracy
Wednesday, November 11 to Friday, November 13, 2009
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mark Your Calendar!

Becoming a reader is at the very heart of responsible citizenship. But as we find ourselves caught in the fierce updrafts of an information hurricane, we often lose sight of what reading -- as an intellectual activity -- contributes to our sense of self, our cultural awareness, our capacity for self-expression and, ultimately, our notions of engaged citizenship and the collective good. Reading, after all, is about so much more than a technical act that allows us to communicate, consume media and perform the activities of daily life. To be literate is necessary, but it is not enough.

What is Canada doing to foster a reading culture? Many countries around the world have developed national programs to promote reading among children and the general population. In Canada, individual provinces and communities have made steps in this direction; however, because schools and libraries are the most obvious focus for public reading initiatives, and both are under provincial and municipal jurisdictions, we have no coordinated national strategy to promote reading.

How do we Canadians go about building a reading society? On November 11 to 13, 2009 the TD National Reading Summit will bring together writers, educators, publishers, librarians, and public officials who care about crafting a blueprint for a reading Canada. Speakers from across the country and around the world will share their research and experience in developing reading promotion programs, and delegates will lay the groundwork for implementing new programs and policies with both provincial and federal participation. Some of the confirmed speakers to date are: Ana Maria Machado (Brazil), Ingrid Bon (Netherlands), Richard C. Anderson (US), Tom King (Canada), Charles Pascal (Canada) and Elisa Bonilla (Mexico).

Become part of this important conversation. Registration information will be available shortly. Registration fee: $250. (Canadian)
For more information, contact info@nationalreadingsummit.ca or call (416) 487-6116.

This recently released report by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) examines the powerful and lasting benefits that investments in human infrastructure (or skilled workers) offer over investments in physical infrastructure. It also offers a useful overview of the strengths and weaknesses of these two vital areas of the economy. To read the report, go to:
http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Newsroom/LearningLink/LearningLink20091007.htm?Language=EN

HR Perspectives Newsletter October 2009

High-school work-experience programs are designed to enrich the learning experiences of students while providing them opportunities to explore a variety of career options. This article examines a number of additional benefits-from improved student engagement to increased graduation rates-that such programs provide to students.
Click here to read the article.

Canadian Non-Profit Organizations Play a Critical Role in Social Innovation and the Economy

Canada has long had a vibrant non-profit sector that provides important services to help meet the needs of our citizens. Non-profit and charitable organizations work hard to make our communities a better place by providing quality research, policy advice and front line services on everything from health care to housing to education, the environment and the economy.

What is not as well known is that the non-profit sector also makes up a significant portion of our workforce in Canada - employing 11 times more people than the automotive industry and four times more than the agricultural sector - and contributes as much to the gross domestic product (GDP) as other major sectors of the economy. In other words, our country benefits doubly from non-profits: through both social and economic contributions that affect us all.
Click here to read more.