National Adult Literacy Database

On Wednesday, October 6, 2010, the Toronto skyline will turn orange in honour of the life literacy cause and to commemorate ABC Life Literacy Canada’s 20th anniversary. Orange is ABC Life Literacy Canada’s official colour.

Raise-a-Reader, a year-round initiative that raises funds for family literacy programs across Canada, has raised $15-million since its national launch in 2002. The program has also helped educate Canadians about literacy issues and how improved literacy levels have a positive impact on our country's economy and social wellbeing.

Aboriginal education, particularly stronger student outcomes and current federal funding levels, was the primary focus of Saskatchewan ministers participating in the 98th Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) meeting on September 23-24 in Winnipeg.

Hundreds of students from across the province with a zest for reading will help choose which Canadian authors win the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Awards.

TORONTO – September 28, 2010 – ABC Life Literacy Canada, in partnership with Grass Roots Press, and with support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, today launched the first six (of 12) titles in the innovative Good Reads series for adult literacy learners. “Being able to connect adult learners to bestselling Canadian authors is an incredibly powerful experience for all involved,” said Margaret Eaton, President of ABC Life Literacy Canada.

Reading is essential not only to our education and our work, but also to our enjoyment. Books and magazines make it possible for readers to explore various themes and discover new worlds.

Read with your young. Read just for fun. Read in the sun or when the day is done.

Celebrate NWT Literacy Week September 27-October 1 by taking part in these numeracy activities on Monday.

The project team for Measures of Success: Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills is seeking field researchers to undertake research activities at sites in Nova Scotia and Manitoba. Each province will require at least one full-time field researcher (or alternatively two half-time researchers), with additional part-time researchers to be hired as necessary.

The Task Force on Financial Literacy today released a summary of its nationwide public consultations with Canadians. The document, entitled What We Heard, is a summary of the presentations, submissions and comments Canadians made to the Task Force during its public consultations in every Canadian province and territory, which wrapped up in May 2010.

York University's Glendon College is breaking ground on its new Centre for Excellence in French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. With assistance from the Ontario government, the college is building the new facility to improve access to postsecondary French-language programs for Francophone students.

"It's the most important development in my 30-year career," speech-language pathologist Sandy Collins told me last week when I visited White Rock elementary to watch as two young girls - Kaitlyn Peterson and Sarah Cairns, pictured above with Collins - showed me how they use the Fast ForWord software.

The Department of Labour and Workforce Development is seeking input from interested groups and Nova Scotians to develop an Adult Learning Act.

ABC Life Literacy Canada is pleased to proclaim September 23 as the inaugural Essential Skills Day.

These awards recognize the outstanding contributions in the advancement of literacy. The awards will be presented at the Literacy & Learning Symposium Banquet on Friday, October 29th, 2010 in Edmonton.