LPQ Holds Annual General Meeting, 1995

LPQ's Annual General Meeting was held at Dawson College on Thursday, November 9, 1995. A new slate of members was elected to the 1995-1996 Board of Directors. Linda Shohet will begin a second term as President.

LPQ is pleased to welcome the new directors and would like to thank the following outgoing members for their invaluable contributions to literacy and to LPQ during their terms of office:
Ralph Adams
Leila Atkin
Johanne Bilodeau

LPQ must also say good-bye to Shelly Potter who joined the board last year. Shelly has moved to Toronto where she has taken a position as Policy Advisor for the Ontario Status of Women.

Shelly's tireless energy and the extensive work she did as Chair of LPQ's Constitution Committee will be remembered for a long time to come.

We wish Shelly much good luck and success in her new home and position.

LPQ Literacy Award, '95

The annual LPQ Literacy Award is presented to an individual who has contributed to the public understanding or provision of English-language literacy.

This year's award west to Marion Daigle whose involvement and contribution to English-language literacy is quite extraordinary.

In 1990 Marion volunteered as a founding member of LPQ and served on the Board and Executive of LPQ until 1994. She worked closely with the Coalition in planning and implementing community projects. She has a particular soft spot for family literacy. She remains active in LPQ and is currently a member of our Constitution Committee.

Marion represents Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations and has been Literacy Director there since 1989.

In her travels across the province she has been a powerful influence in communities whose resources are limited. Marion has inspired many Quebecers in their work toward life-long learning.

Publicity Awareness Folder

As one of its projects for 1994-1995, LPQ undertook to design a presentation folder and to make available, at no charge, 25 folders to English-language literacy groups.

The folders have arrived and they are quite impressive. Groups can use them for special presentations such as fundraising, publicity and community awareness events.

The package, a professionally-designed folder, has a place on the flap for a card-size insert with the name of each organization. The inside cover provides information on the coalition. Inside are four individual inserts which includes a definition, facts about literacy in Quebec and the rest of Canada, and short descriptions of literacy as a social issue. One page is reserved for information about each organization and is design-coherent with the rest of the package.

The folders are now being distributed to groups who ordered them. Other organizations may purchase folders at a cost of $5.00 each. For information call the LPQ office.

Health and Literacy: A Panel Discussion

Following the AGM and dinner, participants were invited to attend this session hosted by The Centre for Literary.

Panelist Deborah Gordon, of the Canadian Public Health Association, Ottawa is Program Coordinator of National Literacy and Health Program a project of the CPHA funded by National Literacy Secretariat. She described the project which promotes awareness of the links between literacy among health professionals across Canada. It also provides resources to help health professionals serve clientele with low literacy skills more effectively.

Panelists Linda Shohet of The Centre for Literacy and Margaret Lebrun of The Golden Age Association both described their roles in a research project carried out jointly with Montreal seniors and a large urban hospital. Margaret gave an overview of the clientele served by the Golden Age Association and highlighted some of the organizations's activities.

The research project included a series of focus groups with members of the Golden Age Association. Linda shared some interesting observations which came out of these focus groups.

Discussion following the presentations suggested that participants share the panelists' concerns. There was general agreement that raising awareness is one step in addressing the need for clearer communication between health care workers and the public.

International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) Released

IALS, the first study of its kind, was a collaboration between Stats Canada (Ottawa); the U.S. National Centre for Educational Statistics (NCES-Washington); the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD-Paris); the Educational Testing Service (ETS-Princeton); and the seven participating countries: Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

A main goal of the study was to further advance the concept of literacy as a skill continuum which all adults have to some degree.

The document is available for viewing at LPQ.

MCL Brings EDs Together

MCL hosted a full-day meeting of coalition directors in Ottawa in late November. The experience was very rich for the nine coalitions represented, as it gave us the opportunity to share our concerns and projects. While provinces differ in some ways, may of our needs are the same.

Sharing experiences and ideas about common concerns such as fundraising, board development and policies was precisely the kind of professional development that is beneficial to the coalition. We look forward to the opportunity to meet again.

Family Literacy Workshops

Twenty practitioners, students and parents attended "Learning Together," a series of four family literacy workshops which were offered by LPQ on Friday, September 29, and Saturday, September 30, at Dawson College.

Facilitator, Elaine DeWolfe-Thelford from Nova Scotia presented the workshops which have been developed by the Nova Scotia Department of Education, Literacy Section. The four workshops focused on Families Learning, Reading, Writing, and the School.

Participants learned new ways to enjoy helping their children develop their literacy skills.

A highlight of the two days was a presentation by participant Christine Jory who shared some of the techniques she uses in her work with students at C.S. Sault St. Louis.

It reminded everyone that we are fortunate to have a wealth of talent in our own community.

WORD-Wide Web

This project which grew out of a partnership between Literacy Partners of Quebec, The Federation of English-language Writers of Quebec, the Association of English-language Publishers and the Quebec Drama Federation is one of the most exciting projects that LPQ has been involved in.

As a first initiative, Theatreworks gave a gift of a pair of tickers for its production of "Peter Pan" which was performed weekends throughout the month of November at the Fraser-Hickson Library.

LPQ's role in this partnership is to make tickets available to students in the literacy community. In this case, because it was a children's production, the tickets were turned over to Learning With My Child and its Family Literacy Program. Recipients of this pair of tickets were Glenda Hachey and her son Tristan Labreche.

The event became a group outing as Glenda and Tristan were joined at the performance by Glenda's tutor, as well as Gillian Di Vito, Training Consultant with La Commission Scolaire de Sault Saint-Louis.

Following Theatreworks' gift of tickets, the Centaur Theatre Company contributed five complimentary vouchers for tickets and five vouchers which entitle holders to a discount on a ticket to any production of Centaur Theatre's current season.

LPQ will distribute all the vouchers giving equal access to students who are receiving literacy services at various organizations.

HRDC Stay in School Forum

The National Basketball Association (NBA) in Canada, has committed itself to carry on the Stay-In School message begun in the U.S. in 1989. The two new NBA Canadian franchises, the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors are involved in the project. Other leading Canadian companies will be called upon to use their influence in order to benefit students at risk.

The forum is a joint effort of Canada's new NBA franchises in conjunction with the NBA and Human Resources Development Canada.

Upcoming Events RECLAIM
High School of Montreal
3449 University
Montreal, Quebec
Tel. 849-3679
Literacy and Technology Workshop
Leaders: Ricki Goldstein, Sara Perry
Date: Wed. February 7, 1996
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $50 (with lunch)

The Centre for Literacy
4001 De Maisonneuve West
Montreal, Quebec
Tel. 931-8731 local 1415
Homeless Women, Literacy and Technology
Leader: Ludo Sheffer
University of Pennsylvania
Date: Monday, January 22
Time: 6:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Fee: $45.00 (Includes materials and supper)
The presenter will discuss SHELCOM, a computer writing network between three shelters for homeless women in Philadelphia.

Women, Literacy and Social Change
Leaders: Jane Hugo, Laubach Literacy America;
Peggy Maguire, Germantown
Women's Educational Project, Philadelphia
Date: Thursday, March 7, 1996
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Fee: $5.00

Learning Disabilities Association of Quebec
21st Annual International Disabilities
March 14, 15, 16, 1996
Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Montreal, Quebec
This conference will explore a number of topics.
Information: LDAQ
Conference, P.O. Box 1678
succ. Place d'Armes,
Montreal, Quebec
Fax (514) 281-5187

1996 World Conference on Literacy
Date: March 12-15, 1996
Place: Philadelphia, PA.
Information: International Literacy Institute, University of Pennsylvania
3910 Chestnut Street, PA
19104-3111 Tel. (215) 898-2100

Workplace Learning: The Strategic Advantage
This North American Conference will focus on change and learning in the workplace. Attendees will gain practical information for planning new workplace initiatives or enhancing those already in place.
Date: April 29-30, 1996
Place: Hyatt Regency,
Milwaukee
Pre-Conference Activities:
April 28.
Information: 1-800-446-0399
Tel. (403) 668-6280

LPQ
Board of Directors
1995-1996
Officers
President: Linda Shohet
Past-President: Ann Gauvin
Secretary/Treasurer:
Gillian Di Vito
Directors
Frances Ackerman
Dr. Clarence Bayne
Judy Brooks
Eric Diehl
Glen Gordon
Riva Heft
Isa Helfield
Helen Owers
Anna Poulsen
Jim Routh
Harold Spanier

For inclusion of notices or to have your name added or deleted from our mailing list, send or fax information to LPQ at the address below.

Literacy Partners of Quebec is an incorporated provincial coalition of reading councils, school boards and other organizations involved in English literacy. It is supported by the National Literacy Secretariat Human Resources Development. Its office is located at
Dawson College,
3040 Sherbrooke St. W.,
Montreal, Quebec
H3Z 1A4
Tel. (514) 931-8731, Loc. 1413
Fax (514) 931-5181
Coordinator:
Judy Brandeis

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